Girls Just Want to Have Fun: Part 2

Well, after months of trying not to think about it; weeks when I just couldn’t procrastinate anymore; nights of non sleep; and anxious about the alarm not beeping on the 13th; I arrived to the Airport. My husband drove me there and we parted with a kiss… He will be OK. He did all his laundry and I made him a big chili pot. I also put notes all over the house to remember him to eat, water the plants, go to his drs. appointment, and pick me up on the 20th. (Seriously!)

Plane # 1 was on time; I met a lady from Dublin who talked me into how she came to the USA to work for a year and ended up marrying her husband who was from Austin. Now they live 6 months of the year in each country and their daughters are going to college in Dallas and Lubbock.

This has been going for more than twenty years now and it actually gave me some good prospects : ).

Plane # 2 was delayed and I noticed how the war for the top benches to put the carry-on baggage is never ending. I was lucky to jump out of the plane anyway as soon as we landed and run to get plane # 3. Those seats were making my but literally square by the time they finally announced we were preparing to land in New Jersey!

The New York - Manhattan line was really a sight I’ve never seen before and suddenly all the anxiety and preparing for this journey was worth it, if not gone completely. All I can say is I am happy I get to do this now… because for what I hear around, unless one is carelessly rich and duty-free one doesn’t really get the chance to hop on a plane for a week of fun… and since Fall is almost here, I better squeeze the fun as much as I can!

My friend Jenny, Master of Relaxing under the most stressful situations and whom I haven’t seen in years, picked me up and we drove for a million tangled streets filled with the cutest scrunched houses and… scrunched cars. Apparently it is a miracle if you find a free parking spot on the wee hours here.

But not only did we; she took me to a Dominican little restaurant and I had the best meal in months: dominican-style fried chicken, tostones, white rice, mofongo, and a beautiful piece of arepa that I am saving for today’s breakfast.

I forgot, I also had a country club merengue soda, bottled in New Jersey. It was delightful.

Then we took some pictures with the Manhattan skyline as a background. I can’t wait to develop them!

We arrived to her house, I unpacked and tried to sleep…

Today: Dominican Embassy to Renew Passport, New York, NY.

Tomorrow and Saturday: Washington, D.C.

To Be Continued…

Parents of Twins Have More Mental Health Problems

There’s a reason why they call twins “double trouble.” According to a study presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Barcelona, Spain, mothers and fathers of twins have more mental health symptoms following their babies’ delivery, as well as one year after birth, than do parents of single babies. Although we often hear about women suffering postpartum depression, especially due to elevated hormone levels following a multiple birth, the study also reported that fathers of twins had more anxiety, depression, sleep problems and social dysfunction than other fathers.

The study also compared parents who conceived twins spontaneously against parents who conceived twins through assisted reproductive technology (ART). Mothers of twins who conceived through ART had less symptoms of depression before the birth, probably because they had been better prepared for the likelihood of twins due to their procedures.

Dr. Unkila Kallio of Helsinki University Central Hospital in Finland, one of the study’s researchers, says that her findings support the policy to try to reduce the number of twin pregnancies by encouraging single embryo transfers (implanting only one egg at a time) in order to improve the psychological health of expectant and new parents. Dr. Kallio also recommended better support for parents expecting twins, especially fathers, who usually receive less social support than mothers do. Fathers may also bear the increased responsibility to financially support their growing family, which can add stress to their lives.

If you’re an expectant or new parent of twins, it’s natural to feel tired, anxious and fearful about the monumental changes in your life. But if you find these feelings overwhelming, or they’re seriously affecting your performance as a parent or spouse, be sure to speak to your doctor about the types of support available. Having twins can certainly cause “double trouble” for many parents, but they are also “multiple blessings” when parents receive the proper information, guidance and support they need.

Source: European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (2008, July 8). Parents of Twins Report More Mental Health Symptoms Than Parents of Singletons. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 16, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707100159.htm.