Trivia
4 lbs, 15 oz
18"
9:26pm
Dec 8, 1999
5 lbs, 15 oz
18 1/2"
9:25pm
Dec 8, 1999
Sam and Zoe are in-vitro fertilization babies. They were the born after Mitch and Jodi's 2nd IVF cycle. Sam ("Baby A") was positioned head down ready to be born first. Zoe ("Baby B") was head up (breach) causing Jodi acute rib cage area pains. Ultrasounds indicated both babies tracking equally in growth at about the 50% tile for singletons. Sam apparently began stealing all the food in the final weeks. Sam's head was at the "round" extreme of normal, Zoe's head was at the "oval" extreme of normal. Sam and Zoe were born by Cesarean section in Jodi's "35th week" of pregnancy. The doctors opted for the C section upon Jodi's development of the beginnings of pre-eclampsia. Their birth was exactly 230 days after their embryos were fertilized. Sam's weight dropped to 5lbs, 3 oz, and Zoe's weight dropped to 4lbs, 6 oz in the first few days after birth.
The Names
Jodi first suggested the name Zoe while Mitch and Jodi were on vacation in Las Vegas on 1/23/99. Zoe was originally supposed to be named after Mitch's Mom Muriel, but Mitch and Jodi couldn't find an "M" name they liked enough for a first name. Madeline, Mirabel, Mirelle, Marissa were possibilities. Julia and Lucy were other names that Mitch and Jodi liked. Mitch first suggested the name Sam (Samuel), and the name stuck. Mitch's paternal great grandfather was named Samuel. Isaac was named after Jodi's maternal grandfather Irving. Mirabel was named after Mitch's Mom Muriel and Jodi's paternal grandmother Belle. Mitch and Jodi briefly toyed with the names Samuel Cole and Zoe Mirelle. Everyone liked the name Sam, but there were long pauses on the phone to Mitch's family after tellling them the name Zoe. Mitch's Aunt Harriet thought Zoe Mirabel sounded like a go-go dancer. On July 4, 2000, Sam and Zoe were formally given the hebrew names Shmuel Hayyim and Chaya Mindele during a baby naming ceremony in Connecticut presided by Rabbi Ed Schlager.
Nicknames
Samuel: Sam, Sammy, Sammy Soso, Sammy Serioso, Sammy Curioso, Sammy Baby Junior, Mister Sam, Sam the Man, Little Man, Eskimo, Monkey, Fat Boy, Sammy Whammy, Samster (Rena), Samwell
Zoe: Zoe, Miss Zoe, Little Miss Zoe, Baby Zoe, Peanut, Sweet Pea, Zoetrope, Zoe Mirabel Go-Go Dancer, Slimfast, Woe is Zoe, Zo, Zoelle, Pipsqueek, Imp, Minx