UPDATE:April 17, 1998

Where does personality come from? It's a real nature vs. nurture, chicken & egg question. Of course, since few things are ever absolute, personality certainly is a combination of both learned and biologically determined factors.

In my opinion, that is.

These days I'm frequently asked if I can see the babies' personalities forming yet. I generally hesitate to discuss it for fear that by discussing it I impose a kind of pre-destined outcome on the babies. Like if you say that you have a good twin and an evil twin, that's what you're gonna get--eventually.

My desire is to let the biological side have its say for a while before I start trying to brainwash anyone. Although I'll be damned if these babies won't play music. I expect my pay back as a parent to come in the form of family jam sessions to be held on a regular basis in my old age....

So, regardless of all that..Here's a preliminary report on the Raines Babies' Personality Traits.

Carter seems to have the easiest going personality of the three. Despite the wires, tubes, and other medical invasions, he fusses remarkably little. He also smiles more than the other two combined.

With Sara, I think speculation of personality type is way premature. Currently, Sara demands (and gets) constant attention. In this, she seems to be rather princess like. Since she is the only girl, I suppose that role is perhaps somewhat inevitable.

Zane seems the most serious of the three. His brow if constantly furrowed by an apparent seriousness that could only be caused by an attempt to solve differential equations, formulate the solution to world peace, discover the cure for cancer, or something else of equal complexity and enourmous significance. Jill thinks he's just trying to poop.

Zane also looks like he might have some predilection for athletics as he seems carved out of solid muscle. He's built compact like a wrestler or a Pit Bull.

This is not to say that he lacks personal charm. He and Carter seem to truly enjoy each others company while Sara seems to disdain sharing her space with the others.

Sara had to have an upper GI test this week. The affore mentioned digestive problems have become big enough to warrent more intervention that just experimenting with formula types. Although the Drs. haven't been able to diagnose any specific problems--which is probably good--they have given us some different medicines and formula mixes that seem like they might be making a difference.

That's all for now.

April 11, 1998
Nothing much happened this week. Sara's been having some problems tolerating her formula which has been giving Jill the fits.

We took the babies out for a walk yesterday evening in their triplets stroller. It was a little too conspicuous for our comfort level. You'd think we were giving away hundred dollar bills the way people rushed outside to see the babies.

Of course who could blame them as cute as they are....

I told Jill that we might as well get used to be a spectacle. I guess there's worse things.

April 2, 1998

The boys got circumcised today. This is, of course, an event loaded with symbolic implications and psychic overtones.

The event made be think of three things.

First, before the procedure, I kept telling the boys, "when we're done, you'll be one of us." My brother Mike, who accompanied Jill and I, eventually asked me what the hell I was talking about. I told him I was thinking of the Twilight Zone episode where everyone had pig faces except for one person. All the evil pig people were trying to catch her to turn her into a pig person all the while saying they were going make her "one of us."

After my explanation, Mike started saying to the boys "when we're done, you'll be one of us." I think this provided great comfort to the boys.

Which brings me to the second thing that occurred to me. As a Gentile, circumcision has absolutely no symbolic or cultural meaning but it seems like it should--ritual scarification and all that.

With my brother here the circumcision felt meaningful although I'm not sure why.

Jill, who's tender heart prevented her from attending the procedure, stayed in the waiting room while Mike and I dealt with the babies. Which brings me to the third thing.

I told Mike after the procedure that it reminded me of the time when we witnessed Pig's getting castrated on my Grandfather's ranch. We were only 5 or 6 at the time and walked into a corral where my Father and Grandfather were "cutting" some piglets. Mike says he remembers watching but I remember getting the hell out of there for fear that I was next.

What's all that mean. I dunno. Anyway, I was happy for the extra set of hands and moral support Mike provided.

Of course, considering the lack of cultural and religious significance, Jill and I did debate if the circumcision was necessary or not. I remember a woman I used to work with deciding not to do it to her son because "sometimes they slip." However, it really came down to "if it was good enough for Dad, its good enough for them" and that reason was good enough for me and Jill let me decide.

The boys seem no worse for the experience and, by the way, the Dr. remarked that they were "exceptionally well developed" and would have nothing to be ashamed of at the nursery. A family trait I'm sure.

Against the advice of numerous Dr. friends, I watched the entire procedure. For details and pictures, Click Here.