I was in labor with B & C. We dropped off Bob with our neighbors, Don and Dan, and headed into to SF. as we drove out of our neighborhood Don and Dan poured themselves some wine and toasted to us from their porch.
Mark was driving like a maniac and drove right up and down California St. (very steep hill in San Francisco) instead of taking Sacramento like a sane person would do. That was a huge mistake for a nervous lady in labor. He must have seen too many sitcoms where the dad was in a mad rush to make it to the hospital before the baby is born in the car.
Ben and Charlie were born the next day in a quite eventful and scary delivery. Charlie came out without hitch, but Ben was breech and his arm was stuck behind his head. His heart rate dropped and he wasn't getting oxygen. There was a nurse on top of me trying to push him out and a few doctors were trying to pull him out. Out of nowhere came this HUMONGOUS doctor. He reached right in and yanked Ben out by the feet with one pull. Then he took off his gloves and walked right back out the door. I never did see him again. We joke that he was probably a janitor or hospital tug-of-war champ.
Ben was limp and purple and the room went silent. He was resuscitated and intubated and sent to the NICU. He had been without oxygen for 11 minutes, but his blood/gas levels tested completely normal, which was a miracle. Aside from some black and blue legs and feet and a broken collar bone, he was totally normal and healthy.
We left the hospital 1 week later with two very sweet (and very colicky) little boys. It's been an adventure ever since!!
Today they are just amazing little human beings.
Charlie is very sensitive and caring. He is in-tune with the feelings of everyone around him. He loves babies and animals. Other kids are just drawn to him. He has lots of friends!
He's a natural in soccer, football, and really any sport you throw his way. He is very strategic in sports like soccer. He can predict where the ball is going and block or pass it before anyone else sees it coming. He is extremely competitive, which can sometimes be a problem because he is very hard on himself. It is great to see the determination in him though.
He loves to build with Legos, play on his Leapster, VSmile, or Grandmama's Wii. He plays with Transformers, Star Wars Guys, Superheros, Webkinz and even his stuffed animals. He'll even play babies or dollhouse with Luci (and really enjoys it!). He also loves to read, paint and color.
Ben is a funny guy. He is very witty for a 6 year old, but if you don't pay attention, you might miss it. He also has lots of friends and loves to get them going in imaginative play like Superheroes, Circus, or "going on vacation." He loves to sing and dance and while I wouldn't label him as a prodigy, he is quite funny to watch.
He loves soccer, football, floor hockey, tennis, karate.... He was one of the lead scorers on their soccer team, which we did not expect because he's not terribly competitive. He would just get the ball (usually from Charlie) and bee-line to the goal. No kid could catch him. The very first time he did this he started barking like a dog as he ran across the field to the goal. Later we asked him why he did that and he said he didn't know. I guess he was just too excited!
Learning comes very naturally to him. He just "gets" things the first time around. This is different from Charlie, who is also very smart, but Charlie tries very hard at learning. Ben just knows stuff.
He is obsessed with Legos and building anything. We have Lego structures all over our house on every available shelf space. We also find sculptures built of hangers, paper clips, string, and whatever else he can think of.
The best part is that B & C are best friends. They love each other and get lost in their own world when they play together. They fall asleep talking to each other every night. I love that!
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