Friday, December 31, 2010

Welcome Lara and Gloria!

The babies are here! After 38 weeks waiting and 48 hours labor, Lara Lily and Gloria Sophie were born on Wednesday, Dec 29th, in Heidelberg.


We wish all our readers a great start into the year 2011!

87 comments:

  1. Congratulations! Welcome Lara and Gloria to this strange and wonderful world of ours, may you find much happiness and joy in it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! Huge congratulations and a very Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Bee,

    Lara Lily and Gloria Sophie, I suppose we can assume that’s as viewed on your lovely photo from left to right. To be honest there are no words I can find to aptly describe the wonder and beauty you have us able to behold. So I’ll simply say congratulations to you and Stefan and Happy New Year, yet I think Lara and Gloria have the latter covered already.

    Best,

    Phil

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sabine, Stefan,

    I'm an occasional reader of backreaction, and so was vaguely following your pregnancy! Congratulations to you both! Welcome to Lara and Gloria!

    Victoria.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Many Congratulations! My Best wishes to Lara and Gloria and to the new parents! Happy New Year to everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Best wishes to Lara and Gloria, and of course to their parents Sabine and Stefan. May joy and health be their lot ! May they live a long and contented life, being the happpyness of their(grand)parents !

    Denis

    ReplyDelete
  7. Delurking to say a big CONGRATS and wish all the best to your beautiful family.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations! And good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Heidelberg is home to the African rose-ringed parakeet and the Siberian swan goose. Good choice.

    12 pounds of babies! Are they fraternal or identical twins? This looks like a job for... barcoding, or maybe RFIDs. Put aside a crisp new 5€ banknote for each. When they reach that age when it is a woman's prerogative to consume a man's entire income plus 20%, you can show them what money looked like before economic collapse of the First World. It will be very motivating.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wishing you a speedy recovery, happy new lives for Lara and Gloria, and a Happy New Year for the rest of the family!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Al, I think they're fraternal twins. They really don't look anything alike, from the one photo. Or maybe there was a mixup in the nursery? Be sure to check the footprints before you leave the hospital.

    Pretty names, Bee and Stefan. The most important thing is that mother and babies are healthy, every thing after that is gravy.

    Ain't it amazing how tiny they are?

    I see Pampers got their advertising in. Sheesh. Nothing is sacred I guess. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congratulations! Twice as good as a single baby.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear all,

    thanks a lot for the congratulations and the best wishes and the cheerful words :-)

    We didn't now before if the girls are "fraternal" or identical twins - well, they are fraternal: even other people than their parents can tell them apart ;-)

    Happy New Year,

    Stefan

    ReplyDelete
  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yes, again: Congratulations Bee and Stefan and Happy New Year for you and the babies. BTW I like "Sophie" in a name, Sophia (in personification) is the Goddess of Wisdom hence philo-sophia. (c.f. Minerva.)

    PS there was a Sophie Einstein (mother of art and politics figure Carl Einstein), but who seems unrelated to the physicist.

    ReplyDelete
  16. My best congratulations.

    Btw, are they entangled?

    - Topi

    ReplyDelete
  17. Btw, are they entangled?

    Hey good question. Are they Siamese twins?

    well, they are fraternal: even other people than their parents can tell them apart

    You mean I was right?

    ?!?!! :-O

    Well that's cool, I was just guessing as it's hard to tell from 1 pic, as one angel was sleeping and the other awake and inquisitive. (they're quite beautiful, btw).

    Hey Stefan, tell the truth, you have NEVER smiled so much in your life as when you held them, right? Needs to get more pics of the proud Mama and Papa.

    ReplyDelete
  18. 48 hours!!
    Congratulations and Happy New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  19. A good job, girls are looking nice.. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi All,

    Thanks so much for the kind words :-)

    Hi Phil,

    Yes, in the photo Lara is "Hossenfelder A" and lying on the left side.

    Hi Steve,

    We were not sure whether they are fraternal or identical till they were born. But they are easy to tell apart, to begin with because they have both different hair color (it's difficult to see on the photo though). I'm very sure it's not a mixup - the doctor would have had to be a very skilled magician ;-)

    A lot of companies that produce medication or medical equipment provide all sorts of advertisement gifts to hospitals and doctors. Next time you're at the doctor, look around, notepads, calendars, pens, free samples, etc, it's all advertisement gifts. Best,

    B.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Congratulations, they are beautiful and look very healthy! I've followed your fantastic blog for a while, and also have twins...it gets much easier after the first 3 months! Welcome to the world Lara and Gloria!

    ReplyDelete
  22. As already sent by email -- Congratulations!

    They look so wonderful.

    Christine

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congrats Stefan and Bee,

    Congrats to the Omas and Opas as well.

    We were watching our twin granddaughters on the 29th along with their whose four sister. They are just over 2 and a half and are potty trained.

    It will be difficult at first getting use to the routine of feedings and such, but time flies quickly and in no time you will be amazed how "time flies.":)

    I am sure the Omas and opas are very happy and anxious to hold them.

    Happy New Year to the Family.

    Best,

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Bee and Stefan,

    Yah, we do notice the different hair colors. Also, the different ear shapes, and the one on the left (Baby "A" - Lara?) doesn't look as chubby as the one on the right.

    Hey Bee & Stefan, March 1st is a very important day on your upcoming calender. Know why? Because ..

    Assuming they're normal, March 1st is the next time you & Stefan get a FULL night's sleep! Bebbes don't learn the daily solar cycle until about 2 months old. Weird, huh?

    Best of luck to both of ... I mean all FOUR of you. Sweet geez Louise, what a large crew you are now.

    Twins!

    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  25. FULL night's sleep

    In my case it took 2 *years* to get 6 hours straight of sleep. But it does seem to be more common that babies, specially girls, start to sleep regularly better at about 3 months of age.

    Are the names Lara and Gloria German names? They are used in Brazil.

    Best,

    Christine

    PS: Lara curious; Gloria meditative. :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Bebbes don't learn the daily solar cycle until about 2 months old. Weird, huh?

    Even if the sun rises at 9 AM and sets at 3 PM?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Bee, congratulations.
    Btw is the most courageous postdoc award which you talked about in September announced?

    ReplyDelete
  28. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Arun writes:
    Even if the sun rises at 9 AM and sets at 3 PM?

    ... in which Arun speculates that Lara (oh ... Dr. Zhivago!) and Gloria (oh... Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown!) will be raised in Sweden, not Germany.

    Interesting speculation, truly. But that's up to the parents, right?

    I suspect that's the whole "logistics" stuff, and we will all know on a "need-to-know" basis.

    Good times ahead, with many surprises, eh mate?

    To Stefan, my fellow Dad (SO COOL to call you that), I leave you with two wonderful quotes, from my fellow American, PhD. in Education: Bill Cosby, who said:

    "You're not A MAN because you can MAKE a baby. You're A MAN because you can RAISE a baby, to TEACH that baby, to PROVIDE for that baby, to HELP that baby, to help grow that baby into the greatest person as the future adult they will inevitably become that THAT baby can possibly be."

    and

    "The greatest thing I have witnessed in my life is to hold this beautiful and so, so very fragile infant daughter in my hand one day, and 18 years later, and all along thee way, watch her grow into a beautiful young woman."

    And so it goes. Best of luck to you both ... er, all FOUR of you, but ....

    Twins! Holy geez man, I mean ... Twins! My heart goes out to, man, I've done it 4 times, but that was with one per.

    I don't know HOW you're going to do it, but knowing you and Bee, Stefan, we have confidence you will do it well.

    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi Christine,

    We were looking for names that would exist, be pronounceable, and be gender-unambiguous in various languages. Lara is a short version of Larissa and originally Russian, and Gloria is Latin. Maybe equally important there's nobody in our close family our among friends who has the same name. Best,

    B.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Congratulations!
    Welcome to the world Lara and Gloria! Let the symmetry breaking in the beginning not deter you from having a good and happy future.

    ReplyDelete
  32. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Congratulations and best wishes to all four.
    PS Do they get your surname? Wow!

    ReplyDelete
  34. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hi Bee & Stefan

    That was a good start on the background surrounding you daughter’s names. As such I thought perhaps you might be interested what I found with a little more research.

    Lara:
    Pet name or short form for Larissa, an ancient Russian City. Stemming from the Latin adjective Lascivus, meaning playful, frolicsome and kittenish. However this Russian city was named after the original ancient Greek city Larissa (Λάρισα) fabled to have been the home of Achilles and the final resting place of Hippocrates. The city's name taken from Greek mythology as being the name of the nymph Larissa, a fountain nymph, whose head has been found to be depicted on coins dated from the reign of Philip II of Macedonia 350-325 BC.

    Gloria:
    Taken from the Latin for Glory, however it was first found to be used as a name for a character of George Bernard Shaw’s in his play "You Never Can Tell" (1898). In the opening of the play Gloria projects herself a modern woman and claims to have no interest in love or marriage.

    ”Gloria: (proudly). He shall have a settlement.
    Valentine: My good sir, I don’t want advice for myself. Give her some advice.
    Bohun: She won’t take it. When you’re married, she won’t take yours either— (turning suddenly on Gloria) oh, no, you won’t: you think you will; but you won’t. He’ll set to work and earn his living— (turning suddenly to Valentine) oh, yes, you will: you think you won’t; but you will. She’ll make you.”

    -George Bernard Shaw, "You Can Never Tell ", Act IV

    Best,

    Phil

    P.S. I first put up a version that had links to have all this better sourced yet the Blogger gods acted again :-)

    ReplyDelete
  36. Here's another "birth" we're looking forward to, being the publication of this upcoming book:

    The Reality of Time and the Nature of Cosmological Laws

    by Lee Smolin and Roberto Mangabeira Unger

    Anyone know the due date?

    I think it's about immutable laws, and whether they exist. Or not.

    Hey I know ONE immutable Law, when it comes to babies:

    Everything goes in the mouth.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi Steven,

    You said:”Hey I know ONE immutable Law, when it comes to babies: Everything goes in the mouth”

    Are you certain this is an immutable law or the immergence of oral tradition stemming from one:-)

    Best,

    Phil

    ReplyDelete
  38. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  39. immergence

    Huh, Phil? Did you mean emergence? England has Oxford, America (the lesser English but with the most speakers until China takes over soon, if they haven't already)had Websters. Is there another Canadian dictionary I am unaware of?

    No, Phil is correct and I am incorrect. Thanks for the vocab lesson, Phil. I choose my friends wisely, don't I? :-) Help me Obi Phil Warnelli, you're my only hope.

    from dictionary.com:

    im·merge
       /ɪˈmɜrdʒ/ Show Spelled [ih-murj] Show IPA verb, -merged, -merg·ing.
    –verb (used without object)
    1.
    to plunge, as into a fluid.
    2.
    to disappear by entering into any medium, as the moon into the shadow of the sun.
    –verb (used with object)
    3.
    Archaic . to immerse.
    Use immergence in a Sentence
    See images of immergence
    Search immergence on the Web
    Origin:
    1605–15; < L immergere to dip, plunge, sink into. See im-1 , merge

    That's it for today. Time to immerge my wife, while the kids are at the movies (and that's another thing the grandparents don't tell their married childless kids pre-pregnancy). ;-p

    ReplyDelete
  40. Hey, congratulations! May they be very healthy kids!
    Happy new year for you four!

    ReplyDelete
  41. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hi Steven,

    To be more correct should you not say you are hopeful to have yourself found in a state of immergence? As for myself I am immersing my mind in the book “Cycles of Time”, where immergence and emergence lose their distinction from one another, as what all which remains of one universe is immersed into the next phase to have everything to again emerge in what would be taken as another universe.

    This would have potential no longer simply being an abstraction quantifying difference, yet in qualification elevated to be a fundamental beable of reality itself, for which he has forecast and claimed to have found observables. Well anyway that’s what Penrose is hopeful to have people convinced of.

    “One of the deepest mysteries of the universe is the puzzle of whence it came."

    -Roger Penrose, Cycles of Time (Preface), Mind Sources (2010)

    Well now I’m left to wonder, will this book turn out to be a how was it, a why is it or a who done it; or then again all as to be taken as one? :-)

    “Of course we may be obliged to develop theories in which there are no strictly local beables. That possibility will not be considered here.

    -J.S. Bell, The Theory of Local Beables ,TH-2053-Cern,1975 July 28 (page 2)

    Best,

    Phil

    P.S. Bee and Stefan I apologize for drifting off topic, yet I was attempting to maintain the theme:-)

    ReplyDelete
  43. Babies are strictly local beables.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Sabine and Stefan, congratulations with these wonderful babies! I wish them a wonderful life.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Hi Bee

    From your last tweet I can only say -- don't count on that. Your life is now 100% your babies, at least in this first month. Unless you have many extra helping hands to help.

    I could work while breast feeding in the second or third month. But that was admitedly crazy.

    Forget papers and blogs for now! (just a suggestion, of course!). Best to you and the babies.

    Christine

    ReplyDelete
  46. I agree with Christine....while she is speaking from a mother's perspective, let me transport you into the future to share some of the insights of a man, my son, as to his answer about more children...well...he's positive after the experience that there will be mo more:)

    It has been my experience too... that mother's have this uncanny ability to forget(just being a man I guess)...we'll have to wait and see from a mother's perspective if this hold's true?:)

    Of course, if there is lots of help this can indeed help a lot.

    Best,

    ReplyDelete
  47. Somewhat confused now, what do I count on? Actually, reading while bfeeding works quite nicely. I suppose though it will get more difficult when they get heavier? Best,

    B.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Hi Bee, hi Stephan,

    congratulations and happy new year, all the best healthiness and happiness to you, your girls and your families.

    Best, Kay

    ReplyDelete
  49. Around 5 months, and assuming normal development, they will not just be heavier, but will have legs so chubby you'll think you're raising obese children. But fret not! They're not Americans! That's just normal.

    In truth if you've read any books on child development, the differenes between all healthy humans in the first six months of life isn't very different at all. But beginning at six months, we start experiencing the greatest growth spurt of our lives, the second being puberty.

    In one year, they'll begin walking and talking, and every last thing in the house will have to be child-proofed. They will quickly learn the physics of moving a chair over to the counter and stove as well, to gain access to the goodlies thereof.

    Enjoy the next year when anything you put down on a table still being there 5 minutes later, as well as walls not being full of crayon scribbles (as well as the kids denying they had anything to do with said scibbles ... lying starts young).

    Oh, the adventures you will have!

    Next question? Lots of gray here as you tell willing to help. Never hesitate to ask.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Dear Sabine,

    With all these good people being so generous with their experience re child rearing, I am a bit concerned you may start to believe there`s a theory of this thing ( as a physicist would see a theory : sturdy and proven !). Surely, every child is (somewhat) a new story too ? Lest you start making a five year plan....

    Best,

    Denis.

    ReplyDelete
  51. In the Now?

    .....don't forget to burb the babies....four arms better then two...may opt for bottle feed? Twice as fast, and both being done at the same time. Momma, Dadda, or when Dadda not there, one, after the other?

    ReplyDelete
  52. Congrats Bee. Rapid progress, but you still have one to go before you catch up with me. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  53. Hi Bee,

    Well I don't know, in your case with twins, do you breast feed them one at a time or the two at once? It must be difficult to hold them both, but probably not now, since they are small and light weight... In any case you must have another hand to hold the book/paper. :)

    In my case there were not much problems in the first week... but then... I suffered severe pain to breast feed, although I did make all the preparations during pregnancy to avoid such problems. The pain was severe and I suffered the whole first month or two. So I could not even think straight or read. But then everything solved with time and breast feeding became a pleasant thing. I know that many mothers don't feel that problem at all.

    I was finishing my PhD and could breast feed at the same time while working on a paper in front of the computer. Now I think it was crazy, but I had not many options. Each mother and baby is different so I guess you will be finding your way through the journey.

    But yes, Steven is right in the sense that now they are confined to pne fixed place, when they start to move around the number of degrees of freedom increases dramatically. But it's great to know they are healthy and have so much energy!

    Best,


    Christine

    ReplyDelete
  54. may opt for bottle feed? Twice as fast, and both being done at the same time.

    Nothing is better than the mother's milk! All nutrients come in the right proportions, as well as all the necessary protection against several illnessess, and there are also many advantages for the mother.

    Also, you have no work at all for preparing the food!

    The question is whether the mother will have enough milk for the two and for how long. Breast feeding is indicated at least for the first 6 months of age, the more, the better, but evidently at some point the babies will require to eat "baby food". Better if prepared at home with fresh ingredients.

    My son started eating "baby foods" at about 5 months of age, but continued being breast fed (once before sleeping) until 2 years and 2 months of age! He's very healthy and I guess that had an impact.

    Here in Brazil breast feeding receives a good amount of promotion, since it is so important, and sometimes essential if you consider the poor population -- it comes free, and protects both the baby and the mother from many issues which could have a large economical impact on governmental health care.

    Best,
    Christine

    ReplyDelete
  55. bottle feed

    Unless of course pumping mother's milk into a bottle. I've used that resource a few times, but not much. It is however a good alternative, perhaps, for twins. There are advantages as well as disadvantages of that, as stated here:

    One disadvantage of pumping breast milk is nipple confusion. Once your baby drinks from a bottle, he may begin to prefer the bottle's nipple, as they're designed to maximize a proper latch-on, which means more milk for him. If he's picky about it, he could even refuse to take your breast after attaching himself to the bottle. Therefore, be sure that your lifestyle necessitates pumping milk.

    Best,
    Christine

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hi Christine,

    ” One disadvantage of pumping breast milk is nipple confusion.”

    One would think in this high tech world someone would have figured out how to design a bottle as to emulate the mother’s natural condition to avoid such pit falls. That’s indicative of the world today as we have too many of our wonderkins preoccupied with designing the next violence packed video game instead of attempting to improve or at least aid the overall general human condition.

    Best,

    Phil

    ReplyDelete
  57. Sorry that should have read wunderkind not wonderkin, although the later is sort of the English equivalent:-)

    ReplyDelete
  58. Hi Christine,

    Working on a paper while breast feeding, ha, I can picture it :-) Can see myself getting there... In the hospital they recommended feeding both at once, one left, one right. It's faster, but I find it totally impractical. First, it's very hard to get them both into the right place without a third hand. And then I need both hands to hold them, so can't do anything else but sit there. I find it more comfortable to do one after the other, then I can read or drink coffee. Decaf, of course... Best,

    B.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Congratulations on your new babies!

    ReplyDelete
  60. Hi Bee,

    As I infer from your comment, it's nice to know that you and the babies seem to be doing fine in your first days!

    Best,
    Christine

    ReplyDelete
  61. Nothing is better than the mother's milk!

    No doubt and out of necessity or demands on mother, we are only talking about the ability to give the best one can, given the circumstance.

    All three of my children were bottle fed, out of mother's choice, knowing full well of course, the better nutrients transmitted from mother to child. Additions of things to compensate were always considered.

    It allowed my participation given the sleepless nights, and rotation of feedings until solids could do the baby through till, going through the night and satisfied reaching the full potential of a volume of milk in the bottle. Of course when not working tried to give some relief to mother.

    Had another turn at it between Gma and Gpa watching the granddaughters and sharing the feeding time. Don't miss those diapers:)

    Best,

    ReplyDelete
  62. Mother's milk is reported to correlate with higher IQ's later in the babies, see Mother's Milk Gives Kids a Higher IQ. The reporting from Scientific American was more equivocal: it depends on whether the babies have a certain gene.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Hmmm.....


    Was watching "Back to the Future" the other day, and in one scene as Michael J Fox is in his mothers house when she was a teenager, he notices in a playpen his uncle. Michael offhandedly comments that his uncle would see more of that in the future.

    So do play pens with bars, or cribs with bars, predestine a child toward adverse psychological reactions "toward bars" in the future?:)

    IN the Uncle's case it obviously didn't:)

    What is IQ anyway, if not using neurological development toward the future? A society of brigands and thieves?

    ReplyDelete
  64. ” One disadvantage of pumping breast milk is nipple confusion.”

    As a Mech. Engr., the solution seems obvious, and if someone wishes to send me some seed money to develop this product (note any slacking in baby products, Bee and Stefan? No it's a huge industry), I could build it.

    Simply, it's a double-pumper. The device would have a strap around the mother's deck, and DOUBLE-pump, that is to say two suctions at each breast. Seems natural. In Oil Services Industry terms: tap both wells at once. End of confusion.

    My work this day is done. Where do I pick up my medal? :-)

    Hi Neil,

    Yah, I heard about that higher IQ thing too. All four of our kids were 9-weeks breast fed, then I kicked the Mrs. out of the house and back to the salt mines, and it was on to formula. Cybill Shepherd had twins I believe, and on Johnny Carson's or Jay Leno's couch confided she was still breast feeding at ... 22 months! Sheesh. Some women REALLY like that BF stuff. Wow.

    Anyway, our kids have high IQ's, regardless. The biggest point about BF'ing is the babies get their mother's immunity to disease while BF'ing, from momma's milk. Post BF'ing, the day will come Bee and Stefan when they get sick, say a high fever. Freaks 1st time parents out. Called the on-call pediatrician, at 3 am. He advised sitting the little one under the bathtub spout with running cold water, with a washcloth of cold water wiping the head of the crying angel. He was scared as hell, but it worked.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Hi Steven,

    Don't scare them with the issue of fever... It happened that my son got sick and my husband was in China... I was alone with my son in the bath at 1 am. Yes, scary.

    But it's all part of having responsability with our children. We learn to keep calm and take the necessary actions.

    Best,

    Christine

    ReplyDelete
  66. Dear Christine of Toy Universes,

    Had it been my intention to scare them, I could have brought up, in the time now past, all the things that can go horribly wrong during pregnancy and childbirth, but I figured they were getting a strong dose of that from their doctors. ;-)

    Or to be REALLY scary, I could have discussed what it's like to raise teenagers, my current process.

    "When I was 18 I couldn't believe how stupid my father was, but when I was 22 I was pleasantly surprised how much the old man had learned in so short a period of time."

    ... Mark Twain

    ReplyDelete
  67. Or to be REALLY scary, I could have discussed what it's like to raise teenagers, my current process.

    Now you are scaring *me*!! :0

    I'm almost into that process.

    Best,

    Christine

    Ps - Please read Bee's guidelines on posting links to other blogs...

    ReplyDelete
  68. Oh, hush. Girls mature faster than boys, even boys at 13, 14, 15 are fine. After that though .....

    My apologies to Bee for providing a link to what I consider an excellent website. My bad.

    Back on topic ...

    Hey bee and Stefan,

    Have you given the girls baths in the kitchen sink yet? There's this blue plastic molded thing we used (I think it's universal) that perfectly fits across a kitchen sink. You rinse them down with the spray thinger. Very adorable.

    They seem to like it, and the sounds they make! Before language, even babies seem very capable of communicating. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  69. Girls mature faster than boys

    True, my son is 11 1/2, and I was suddenly shocked the other day to see one of his class friends: a girl who looked "extremely developed", say, a young lady, tall and all. Boys look like infants at the girls' side at the same age (around 11 yo). And the boys do seem completely lost in awe.

    Best,
    Christine

    PS- Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  70. 11-1/2 is a wonderful age. Perfect for Science museums.

    ReplyDelete
  71. ??

    Maybe not a term used in the USA?

    Sorry, did not get it.

    ReplyDelete
  72. Bee recently tweeted:
    Birds falling from the sky are clearly a sign of impending alien invasion.

    I wish! It'd be nice to know that somewhere in the universe intelligent life exists. It's getting harder to find any on Earth.

    Don't worry about the birds. It was just a weather balloon from Dantzig US Air Force base, transmitting at a frequency that scrambles bird brains, ironically the same frequency at which FOX News broadcasts.

    ReplyDelete
  73. "Don't worry about the birds. It was just a weather balloon from Dantzig US Air Force base, transmitting at a frequency that scrambles bird brains, ironically the same frequency at which FOX News broadcasts."


    In Sweden?

    ReplyDelete
  74. Sweden too ?! I was thinking of the dead American birds. It's worldwide??

    Holy geez maybe Eta Caranae finally went supernova! Would someone where there isn't snow pls train their telescope on the skies? My bucket list just got pages shorter!

    Well if it is aliens, I hope they're kind enough to tell us the secrets of quantum gravity before they harvest us for our livers! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  75. Back on topic, since the "Aflockalypse" has been well handled elsewhere ...

    While breast-feeding is front-and-center at the moment, OK a bit off-center, technically speaking, here are some things you should look forward to very soon ...

    - High chairs and mashed foods. BF'ing ain't forever. There will be many feeding sessions, many more, than at the mother's teats. Many, many, many, many, many MANY more. The best is yet to come.

    - Girlfriends, that is, all the other women in the neighborhood with young ones such as yourself, once they're stollerfied. New friends, new cliques, all with little babies.

    - Money as a "fluid", not a "thing." Remember saving money? Good times, right? Well, it's spending time now. Easy come, easier go. Gerber's demands it. Pampers too.

    - Barney the Dinosaur. No wait, let's not go there. Too soon, too cruel. Let's just say it won't be long before you relive your childhood.

    Most of us hear are happy for your new ones, for you, but also because it transports us back in time to when we were first-time parents. :-)

    The best is yet to come. Of all the things you will ever create in your life, you just created the best.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Bee and Stefan - well, well I am late to this thread! So the eigenvalues are now determined fully, congrats! And may they sleep at night peacefully :)

    ReplyDelete
  77. Another thing Bee and Stefan to look out for as these weeks turn into months and years, is how your perception of EVERYTHING will change, as you observe your daughters at play, not the least of all, and probably MOST of all ... our purpose.

    For example, I was an atheist from age 15 to age 37, when my oldest daughter was 4 years old, and probably would still be one were it not for observing her.

    There's something perfect about that gender, at that age. They are WHY we "fight", whatever battles we do fight. We don't really KNOW why we fight, WHY? being a question best left to the professional philosophers, as HOW? is hard enough a question to answer.

    "I think I would say that the universe has a purpose, it's not somehow just there by chance ... some people, I think, take the view that the universe is just there and it runs along – it's a bit like it just sort of computes, and we happen somehow by accident to find ourselves in this thing. But I don't think that's a very fruitful or helpful way of looking at the universe, I think that there is something much deeper about it."
    ... Sir Roger Penrose

    ReplyDelete
  78. Tweet : more than 150 grams per week each ? Hmm... I guess this is a perfect excuse to forget about all these diet things. Torte mit sahne, bitte !!

    ReplyDelete
  79. The purpose of the universe is for parents to wax eloquent about their kids and the joys and travails of parenthood. :)

    ReplyDelete
  80. The purpose of kids is have somebody actually visit you in the old age home at least once a year on Xmas someday, because if you think the nephews and nieces are going to do that, keep dreamin.' lol

    ReplyDelete
  81. Hi Denis,

    You said: “I guess this is a perfect excuse to forget about all these diet things. Torte mit sahne, bitte !!”

    Although still unheeded by some theorists, things found as natural need to be considered in context as having contextuality taken seriously. In Bee’s case it’s to realize she is eating for more than one, just as it is in respect to reality a dual ontology can be seen as being more appropriate then a singular one; that is when given due consideration:-)

    "Obwohl Kuchen und Sahne macht einen guten Nachtisch, wobei beide Teilchen und Wellen eine Realität, mit der Antwort, warum an."
    -Author unknown, “The Quantum Chef”, (2011) :-)

    Best,

    Phil

    ReplyDelete
  82. Even though I am a bit late, my best wishes for your babies. Congratulations.

    ReplyDelete

COMMENTS ON THIS BLOG ARE PERMANENTLY CLOSED. You can join the discussion on Patreon.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.