Holiday pics

A few snaps of the boys in our Christmas stockings!

~Javier

Smile!!

Quick cute pics of our boys to brighten your day!!

JACOB JAVIER GARCIA

JOAQUIN ANDRES GARCIA

More Pics as promised

Latrice and Dr. Toth, the doc who delivered our boys on Dec. 1, 2008 at 6:36 p.m. and 6:37 p.m.

Our boys are doing great. It has been a challenge adjusting to the rigors of parenthood, but we are enjoying it. Being a new parent is AWESOME! However, the first few days were extremely exhausting and now they are just exhausting. Our little guys are on a 3 hour feeding schedule, so we have to be up and about every 2 hours. It takes us one hour to feed, burp, change them, and lay then back down. Latrice is on a crazy schedule because we are giving the boys breast milk as much as possible. These guys are hungry all of the time and so we have to supplement their voracious appetites with formula. I wonder if this is a sign of the things to come, these guys are going to eat us out of house and home! However, it could be worse, they could not be eating at all as was the case early in their lives. They had us worried for a while because they were not feeding like they were supposed to, but I guess they got hungry enough that they learned how to feed. Jacob had a mild case of jaundice, but he is over it now. Joaquin is the healthy eater and also the most active boy in his sleep.

The days in the hospital were tough on of us. Latrice was recovering and I was an excited papi who could hardly sleep. I reacted to every sneeze and burp I heard from the boys. The first night I got no sleep. Night 2 was 30 minutes, night 3 was 1 hour, and the final night I was there I got 2 hours of sleep. I was very sleep deprived and extremely tired. Our first night home I finally got 3 hours of sleep. We now have my mom here and so today I got about 5 hours of sleep and it felt great. Latrice, however, is not so lucky. She is up every 90 minutes to pump some chow for the little guys. She is doing great and I am very proud of the way she has developed into a caring, loving mommy for our sons.

We are so lucky and grateful to have 2 wonderful baby boys. One would have not been enough to share our love with. I feel like one of us would always be jockeying to do everything for the one guy, but with 2 guys, we do not have that

problem. It is great and we would not have it any other way.

We love our boys. They are very special and yes,

they are extremely cute, adorable, and most certainly lovable. We are very lucky and we can not imagine our lives without those two. It warms our hearts to look into their eyes and realize that we made them out of love for one another. We love our boys.

~Javier

P.S> Sorry about the formatting. The computer and I are not getting along due to a VIRUS!!

Pictures!

Jacob and Joaquin (left to right)

Mommy and Babies are Well and HEALTHY! No time to blog, mommy is waiting for me at the hospital! Born Dec. 1, 2008 at 1836 and 1837

Final Day of Pregnancy (hours before delivery)

Jacob Javier Garcia (1st born) cleaned up after birth: 5 lbs 1 oz and 17.5 inches

Joaquin Andres Garcia cleaned up: 5 lbs 8 ozs and 18.5 inches

Jacob and Joaquin asleep (left to right)

More pics to come. We are scheduled to return home tomorrow!!

~Javier

38 Weeks (but only 4 days left!)

Latrice and I never thought that we would still be pregnant at 38 weeks. We figured that the babies would have run out of room by now and would be on the outside hanging out with us. I had predicted that the boys and I would watch the Ag game together on Thanksgiving, but I was wrong. These guys are happy to stay inside of mommy's belly and grow a bit more. We are both okay with it since it means that the boy's lungs should be nice and strong when they come out this Thursday. As excited and ready that we are, we will wait just as long as these two guys come out healthy and strong ready to take on the world with us at their side.

We spent this weekend doing some house Christmas shopping just like we had decided. The house is coming along nicely. The tree is up and the house is taking on that "christmasy" smell. My job today is to put up the icicle lights and decorate the yard with a few items we bought. It is raining right now, so it's going to have to wait until it stops.

I will only be in school 2.5 days this week. Since the boys are coming on Thursday, Wednesday is a half day for me. Once the boys are born, I get 10 days of paternity leave. That is a really good thing that the military does for new dads. So, I will be home making sure that mommy and the boys are attended to and taken care of. That is a job that I am grateful to be home (and not deployed) to be able to do.

Contractions have been on and off for Latrice. They are really strong at night and they do keep her up. The boys do not like them at all. They kick up a storm in protest and that causes mommy more discomfort than the actual contraction. Her feet have also become swollen in the last few days. It is an unpleasant symptom and it hinders her ability to get around or to stand to long. She put on some super tight socks to keep the swelling down and it helped a little. One thing that she has done well though is staying hydrated. I have been filling her water glass quite often and that is a good thing. She will go through a glass and a half throughout the night.

So, we "celebrated" our last weekend together as just the two of this past week. By "celebrating" I mean that we realized that it was our last weekend together and we reflected on our past and our future. We took notice of some of our routines and appreciated them. Our weekend routine is quite simple, but it fits us both.

Next weekend will be hectic. My mom is coming out to help us and I have to go pick her up from the airport. Latrice should still be in the hospital on Saturday and be ready to be released on Sunday. So, the plan is to get mom here on Saturday, get her settled in and ready to receive mommy and babies at home on Sunday. We are very grateful that she is able to come out and take some time out from her many duties at home. My dad and 2 sisters are REALLY going to miss her. She is the center piece of their lives at home and does a lot for them. She works 3 jobs and keeps up with all of housework as well. I am sure she is looking at this opportunity to come out and help us as a vacation compared to her daily routine at home! I think her biggest challenge will be getting here by getting through the airport. She has only flown once in her life and it was with my dad at her side leading her through the process. Airports can be a huge challenge if you are unfamiliar with them. Adding to this daunting task is the fact that she will have to change flights in another huge airport like Chicago and figure that rat maze out by herself. So, she is stressed out about it, but we are sure she will manage.

4 more days! In 4 days our boys will be with us. Words can not describe the range of emotions we are going through as we await their arrival. We spend so much time talking about them, that we are now debating their middle names. Originally it was going to be Jacob Javier and Joaquin Andres. However, I feel like my name should go to the boy that is born first as a "birth rite". We both think that Joaquin will be delivered first, so he will inherit Javier as his middle name. The quandary is that Joaquin Javier doesn't ring as well as Joaquin Andres. However, I also feel that it is unfair to Joaquin that Jacob inherit 2 family names. Jacob's name comes from my younger brother who passed a few weeks after birth. He had a heart defect and died due to complications. So, I want to pass that name on to my son in honor of my baby brother. Thus, Jacob gets that family name. Again, if we name him Jacob Javier then he gets 2 family names and Joaquin doesn't get any. I just don't think it is fair to Joaquin. So, if Joaquin gets Javier, what do we give to Jacob? Andres does not ring well with Jacob either. The middle name for Jacob we are thinking about is Daniel. Latrice thought of that one. I am at a blank. So, we will spend the next few days thinking of a new middle name for Jacob. However, if Jacob is delivered first, then the problem is solved. He will be Jacob Javier as originally discussed. Wish us luck!

~Javier

10 days to go

So I figured I should get a post in here since the time is really winding down. Everyday seems to be filled with more and more anticipation..... like I can't believe tomorrow we'll be down to single digits on days left for the babies to be born. It's surreal.

So how is my pregnancy going?.......

Not too bad, but I'm ready for it to be over. Obviously, I'm bigger and therefore feeling heavier. I have a really exaggerated waddle now. It's just too hard to walk normal and it hurts to lift my feet very much. I'm having some sporadic sciatic pain that shoots through my right or my left butt cheek. Picking things up off the floor is a real production and usually I leave it to someone else if I can. I've been sleeping on the recliner for at least a week now and though it's not easy, I am at least able to get a few hours of sleep at a time. Sleeping on the bed is just not an option at all. It's impossible for me to turn over and almost impossible for me to get out of bed unassisted. Driving is uncomfortable, but still manageable at this point. I've reduced a lot of my trips out of the house. Breathing continues to be a challenge at times, especially when Jacob tries to get his head underneath my breastplate. My appetite continues to wane as I lose space for food to fit in my stomach. Fatigue is my constant companion. I've never felt more tired in my life. And though these all may sound like complaints, I am in pretty good spirits. I'm grateful that I'm still able to get around, run errands, and do pretty much what I need to do. Other mothers constantly remind me that I'm lucky that I wasn't put on bedrest for any reason. I'm glad of it too. 

The next 10 days are going to be spent taking it easy, doing any last minute prep stuff for the babies, and just waiting. We are spending Thanksgiving at a friend's house that lives nearby. She is cooking most of the food. I'll be making cornbread dressing, greenbean casserole, and pecan pie. I'm taking a ham that I'm going to buy tomorrow from Honey Baked Ham. I usually make my own ham, but I'm not feeling up to the job this year. I am so excited to eat some good Thanksgiving food. After that, we'll just be waiting for the boys to arrive. My heart is filled with much joy.

~Latrice

11 days to go

Today is our 37th week of pregnancy. We are now really excited and are spending our weekend doing some Christmas shopping for the house. We have decided to decorate our home (inside and out) like we have never before. We are not going to "Griswold" our house, but we are going to make it a lot more festive than we have in the past. So, here is a picture of our living room, BEFORE we decorate it next weekend.

Latrice is getting pretty uncomfortable now, but she is still getting around very well. It is a lot slower and with some challenges, but she is managing. On the right is a picture of her getting dinner ready for us. We are both very grateful that this pregnancy hasn't limited her abilities to get around and that she wasn't put on any sort of bed rest.

Yesterday when we were out, I felt like I was traveling with a celebrity. People were just staring and were very friendly and talkative. Every SINGLE cashier asked about the due date. One of the cashiers asked for permission to rub her belly. People were rolling down their windows in the parking lot to talk to Latrice. At the

Korean restaurant we went to for dinner, the ladies came out of the kitchen to talk to us about the pregnancy. The owner and our server BOTH offered to make Latrice some seaweed soup for after the delivery. They were very adamant that she needed the soup and that I have to drive down with a huge pot for them to put it in. We were quite the attraction yesterday.

Today we plan on going out and doing some more shopping. I have a test tomorrow that I have to study for and then we have a 3 day planning exercise going into our 4 day weekend. I had some friends over yesterday to watch the football game. All of them have kids and they all had the same advice. Enjoy the peace and quiet while we can. One of our friends brought up the point that we should do date nights as often as we can because it is a lot cheaper since we don't have to pay for a baby-sitter. That was really a cost that I had not thought about. So dinner and a movie can run about $150 once you pay for the baby-sitter fees and such. Boo!

This is "scheduled" to be our last full week together as 2 peas in a pod. It is quite intimidating to think about it. On the following week we will become parents FOREVER and our lives will change forever. It will be our responsibility to ensure that our children are happy productive citizens in our society. Their actions will reflect on us and our parenting. We have no doubt that they will shape and influence our lives as much as we will theirs. We are very excited and looking forward to our days and lives ahead with our boys. We got so excited about our first Christmas with them, that we already hung their stockings along with ours. We love you Joaquin and Jacob!

~Javier

We have a DATE!

The doctor called and she wants to deliver the babies early. She suggested next week, we freaked and told her NO that we could wait 2 more weeks and so we will. She will be on leave during that week, so we are going to get another doctor to deliver. We are going to meet him on Dec. 1st and also do a monitoring session afterwards.
We are now scheduled to deliver Joaquin and Jacob 10 days before our due date. If all goes as planned, we will deliver them on December 4th around 8:30 a.m. So, the countdown is on. We changed the baby meter on the web page to reflect this new date. We are really excited and are anxious to see if Latrice does not go into labor before then.
The babies are doing fine. They are really active and getting bigger. The ultrasound revealed that they are in the breech and transverse position. It looks like they are going to remain in that position.
The monitoring went well on Monday. Latrice has been having a lot of contractions lately, but they are expected. She is now really uncomfortable at night, but she has been getting around pretty well during the day. There are days when she is tired all day and then there are days when she is energetic. It is hit or miss. Latrice feels that the babies are going to come before the 4th and she bases this on the way she has been feeling lately. You can't argue with a mommy's instincts...
That is all for now. The time is near and we are very ready and excited!

~Javier

Ultrasound Update

On Monday, Latrice went to a monitoring session and it went well. Jacob and Joaquin are happy in mommy's belly. It took a while to get it done, but it was due to a busy day in the Labor and Delivery Unit for the nurses.

Yesterday we went to get an ultrasound to see how the boys are progressing. This time we got a different tech because Latrice was not pleased with the one we had assigned to us. So, they gave us their most seasoned tech and she was quick. We were in and out in 30 minutes. This is the same process that took our other tech up to 2 hours to do. Huge difference!

Anyway, the babies are progressing well (in my opinion). Latrice feels that the boys are a little small for their GA, but she is using the metrics for a single baby. According to the books, a single baby would weigh approximately 5 lbs 8 ozs. Joaquin weighs 4lbs 10 ozs and Jacob weighs 4 lbs 13 ozs. If you all recall, Joaquin used to be the bigger baby, but now Jacob has surpassed him in the last month. Jacob weighed 22% less than Joaquin and this was the reason Latrice had to start monitoring them. Now he is all caught up and past his brother. However, the weird thing is that Joaquin's measurements are bigger than Jacobs and his "estimated gestational age" is 1 week older than Jacob. I don't know how the machine estimates weights, but it just doesn't make rational sense to me. Another quirk is that the margin of error for this weight estimate is +/- 11 ozs. 11 ozs is a LOT when you are taking about 4 or 5 pounds!

Latrice has officially moved to the recliner to sleep at night. I moved the recliner from the living room into the bedroom next to the bed so that we can at least be in the same room at night. She is getting some much better rest. Her belly is also growing and it looks like a nice round shelf. Take care!

~Javier

35 WEEKS!!

We made it to 35 weeks! Every day that "Big Boy" Joaquin and "Baby" Jacob spend in mommy's belly makes a difference. They are doing good and they are developing their respiratory system. Lately we have been watching a lot of baby shows and are focusing on the ones with multiples. Wow, it is truly a 2-man job minimum for 2 or more. The 3-hour feeding cycle is relentless! It seems that by the time you finish feeding them, burping them, changing them, and then bedding them down that you get about 30 minutes to rest before you have to do that again. However, this vicious cycle goes on for a few months! A lot of the dads expressed that work was actually a BREAK from the madness. Crazy!

The week went by pretty uneventfully. I spent a lot of long days in school and came home mentally exhausted. However, I'm now in the middle of a 4 day break. Yesterday we went to D.C. to join the local Aggie club for the football watching party. The game was absolutely atrocious! I have never seen a Texas A&M football team as bad as we currently are. However, the company was good. We get to do our Aggie War Hymn and eat Blue Bell ice cream. It is also nice to be around Ags and it gave Latrice and I a chance to get out of the house for a while.

Today has been pretty slow. I volunteered to go to the Officer Candidate School to "mentor" some candidates for about 2.5 hours. It was interesting. A lot of the candidates had pretty general questions and I was amazed by how young they looked. I graduated from OCS over 10 years ago, so it was hard to remember some of the details about OCS. I basically told them to keep their head up and that time would pass. My secret for OCS was 1 meal at a time. I would make it to breakfast, then get to lunch, and etc. until we graduated. OCS was not a fun time but it was necessary.

Latrice is doing good. This morning we were reflecting about how well she has been able to get around. We are also both very happy that she hasn't had to go on bed rest. She has been pretty mobile and hasn't had any weird food cravings. Her appetite has actually gotten smaller during her pregnancy. Her allergies are non-existent and her thyroid hasn't been an issue. Her energy level has also been on the up and up lately. Her biggest complaints have been uncomfortable sleeping positions, stretch marks, an active bladder, and over active baby boys.

Life is good. Tomorrow we have a monitoring session and on Wednesday we have an ultrasound. We will update then. See ya!

~Javier

39 days to go! (at MOST)

It is hump day again and this week is going by well. Yesterday, Latrice went to her 2 week appt and everything went well. The doctor checked her and they spoke about the baby's positions. Joaquin and Jacob are still not in the "head down" position and the Dr. said it is highly unlikely that they will position themselves in the head down position before Latrice goes into labor. So, when we go in for our next appt on 17 Nov 08, we have to schedule a "C" section for the week of Dec 8 (her 39th week). However, we don't think she is going to make till then, but we will schedule it anyway.

Latrice and I are both nervous about the "C" section. Although it seems to be a "routine" procedure, neither one of us feels comfortable about it. There are just to many variables involved during and after the procedure that can go unfavorably. I am not thrilled about a surgeon taking a knife to my wife's belly and pulling out our boys. I have seen "C" sections performed on TV and they look so barbaric! The way the doctor reaches into the belly after the incision reminds me of a fishing technique where the fisherman reaches into the water to pull out a fish barehanded. It is just so quick and deliberate and little action is taken to be tender and caring when yanking the kid out by his legs. It's just NOT a pretty sight for the faint-hearted!
The boys are still really active and very reactive to my voice and now our touch. If the boys are in hyper mode, Latrice rubs her belly and they calm down. If they are just chillin', I rub her belly and they start kicking and moving around. I am still reading to them at night and they really seem to like it. Latrice enjoys it as well since I am now reading one her of her favorite books, "The Road".

Recently we went shopping at the mall and we got our boys their Christmas outfits. We plan on using these outfits to take family photos when grandma and grandpa Garcia are in town for the holidays. We also went into the portrait studio and got "spun-up" on the process. We are ready save for our "Christmas" sweaters.

Things are well for us. Last night was particularly exciting as we closely followed the presidential race on TV. Both of us were actively engaged in following the candidates and we both voted absentee about 2 weeks ago. Today went to the movies and then afterwards we went out to dinner and talked. Now, we are hanging out and in particular I am stalling on my homework! Meanwhile, our cat (Bonita) has been very cuddly these last few days and has us wondering if she knows what is coming for our family. Enjoy the update!

~Javier

34 Weeks

Wow, I can hardly believe I'm 34 weeks pregnant. The time is flying on by and it feels like any day now, we'll be meeting our boys.

I continue to grow bigger. I'm really feeling bigger every day and the boys are still as active as ever. Javier still marvels at their strong kicks. It feels like their trying to bust out of jail. I just hope they stay in there a little longer.

The fall weather change has been nice. Most days it's a bit chilly, but this weekend has been beautiful. The trees are changing color and the leaves are falling.

Not much has changed as far as my pregnancy is concerned. I get tired more easily and I've got achiness and soreness here and there. For the most part, I feel good and I think I'm still getting around fairly well.

Yesterday evening, Javier attended his school's Marine Corps Birthday ball. Normally, we always go together, but this year, I just wasn't up to it. Javier understood and agreed to go unaccompanied. I knew he was going to be with all his classmates, so I didn't feel like he was going to be lonely. Anyway, he got all dressed up in his dress blues and I took a couple of pics. When he moves around, his medals sound like jingle bells. I have to admit that he was looking quite dapper and I was a little sorry not to be his date that night. I love seeing him in his dress uniform.

There really is something about a man in uniform.

Today is going to be a quiet day for us. Javier has a test to study for and I'm in a relaxing type of mood.

My next doctor's appointment is this coming Tuesday and I suspect that all will be well. I'm sure I or Javier will update about it anyway though..... for our handful of regular readers.

Until next time, we hope all is well with our friends and family.

~Latrice

Hump day

It is Wednesday and we just want to do a quick update for our "fans" out there. The week has been going well. Latrice went to a monitoring session yesterday and the babies are doing well. Lately, Joaquin and Jacob have been very active. The boys get really active at night and mommy has a hard time getting comfortable in bed. Jacob is especially picky about the way mommy lays in bed. If he is not happy, mommy is not happy! Joaquin is still the big boy and we can tell because Latrice's belly is a little lopsided.

The weather here has been getting cooler. We finally turned on the heat in the house and switched to flannel sheets. Latrice runs a little warmer than me because of the 2 buns in the oven generating some extra heat.

Today we received our new Olympus camera. It is very nice and just hit the streets. The picture quality looks great and it has tons of features. We are looking forward to using it to capture all our baby's memories.

Hope all is well for all and thanks to all of our friends who have been sending us gifts. I am especially happy with the Texas A&M t-shirt and cap combo for our little ones. The caps are sitting on the crib rails waiting for their baby heads.

Gig 'em Aggies!

~Javier

Baby Shower

Today was Latrice's Baby Shower. The girls got together and went to Macaroni Grill. She got some nice gifts and they had a good time. Afterwards, Latrice and her friend went shopping at Gymboree and Latrice scored some really cute outfits from Grandma Kyong. My favorite item from the outfit are the monkey hats. Not much to report since the last post. The babies are still kicking mommy and mommy is still getting around well. Tomorrow is 33 weeks and we are all doing well. Enjoy the pictures!!

~Javier

Joaquin and Jacob's Room!

As of today, we NO longer have a baby's room. Now, we have Joaquin and Jacob's room! Yes, we finally got our letters and they look great! Latrice and I put them up and admired how much they changed the room. For the first time, we REALLY felt like the boys are almost home. It really tugged at me to see their names on the wall. It made it feel real.

It is no longer a baby's room. That room belongs to our 2 sons. We are ready for them to come home and be here with us. Their wardrobe is full of clothes, the cribs are ready, and the cloth diapers are ready for their baby butts!

~Javier

32 (plus) weeks

Last week was good to us. We got a sonogram and some great news. Our baby boy, Jacob, hit a growth spurt and caught up to his brother. He is now only 3 ozs lighter than Joaquin. So, the doctor said that Latrice does not have to go to the antepartum fetal monitoring twice a week. She only has to go once a week now and that is good news for all of us. When I say "all of us", I am also talking about the nurses who do the monitoring. The monitoring should normally take about 45 minutes. Last time we went, it took 3 HOURS! The poor nurses were having such a hard time getting the data they needed. Also, our boys do NOT like these monitors. They kick and move around every time they are placed on mommy's belly. Latrice didn't like making the trek up to Ft. Belvoir because driving on I-95 twice a week is no picnic. So, the growth spurt was good news in terms of Jacob's health and the fact that a lot of people now have less work to do!

The doctor appointment was also good. Latrice is progressing well with no health issues. However, our boys have been in the same position for about 10 weeks now and they haven't moved. Basically, Joaquin has been in the "breech" position (feet down) and Jacob is laying "transverse" (across at a 90 degree angle) with his head next to Joaquin's. So, the Dr. told us to start thinking about a C-section. If the boys do not position themselves to come down the "chute", they will not deliver them the "traditional" way. We hope it doesn't come to this.

On Saturday, we attended a 36 prenatal class at the hospital where Latrice is going to give birth. The class was very good and it focused on the things to expect at the actually delivery; how to prepare, what to pack, where to park, etc. They also gave us a tour of the Labor and Delivery unit, the birthing rooms, and the mother and baby rooms. It really helped to prepare us mentally.

Last Friday my school hosted a Halloween party for the students and spouses. It was a fun time for all of us to get in costume and socialize. Our Conference Group theme was "Hawaiian" and it was easy for us since we lived there for 3 years. Also, the Hawaiian shirt Latrice is wearing was hand made my our friend's mom in Hawaii. It is really nice! Actually she made her 2 shirts and they sent us a lot of nice fabric for us to make some stuff for the boys. It really all worked out!

This Saturday, Latrice is having a baby shower. Our friend here in Virginia is putting it all together. I believe the girls are going out to lunch to Macaroni Grill. It should be pretty low-key, but I am glad they are getting together.

On Sunday I am working as a volunteer for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. Myself and about 100 other Marines are manning the 2 mile marker with poweraid and water. Personally, I think it is silly that they assigned 100 of us to man the 2 mile mark with water. I mean, if people are really thirsty at that point, the next 24 miles are gonna be rough for them. Also, the part that REALLY sucks is that we have to leave here at 3:30 A.M. Boo!!

~Javier

Who Dunnit?

Ok, folks. I'm looking for someone......

Last week, I received a package containing a gift. It is a Moby wrap. However, the package did not have a gift note or anything to indicate who sent this lovely gift to us. If the person is reading this site, please leave a comment, or email me, or something..... we would like to know who to give our gratitude to. We are touched by the gifts that we have received.

31 Weeks

It has been a while since we posted, but that is for good reason. This past holiday weekend, we had a surprise visit from our friend that is in North Carolina. She and her 2 kids came up to visit us and spend some time with Latrice. Her and Latrice have been friends since we were in College Station together and have kept in touch quite frequently over the years. We had a great time!

They drove up on Friday and stayed until Monday (13 Oct 08). While they were here, Latrice got together with her and other friend and they gathered up all of the kids and went to the pumkin patch in Fredericksburg. The kids had a blast! There was a lot of kid friendly activities and a lot of pictures were taken. This one is one of my favorites. It is Latrice and our "twin trainer" Abigail. I like it because both of the girls are sporting their bellies!

On Sunday we went to the lake to do some fishing with the kids. Her kids are great and really listened to my "fishing tips". It was really fun and the kids got some fish. The little 4 year girl was a great sport. She was tearing up the worms and baiting them on the hook. She was even able to unhook the fish and release them into the water.

Her 6 year old boy also did well and he snagged a fish or too. Mom did well too and showed her precious 2 that she can hang when it comes to fishing. It was a great time for all!

After our time at the lake we came home and carved out some pumpkins. Latrice picked out 4 pumpkins. One big round pumpkin as the momma pumpkin, one tall one as the papa pumpkin and 2 little bambinos. The kids and I prepared the pumpkins and Latrice did the art work. It took a lot longer than I expected it too, but Latrice really takes pride in her work and that is evident in the quality of the artwork done on our pumpkins!

So far our pregnancy is going well. Latrice is still having a hard time getting some restful sleep. Last night she had to get up 4 times to go to the restroom. Before she was pregnant, she would never get up to go to the restroom, so that is a huge change for her. Throughout the day her belly also changes shape. The babies move around throughout the day and change where they position themselves. Sometimes they are low and sometimes they ride high. It is noticeable too.

We are at 31 weeks and have about 6 more to go. We don't expect her to go over 37 weeks. My prediction is that my 2 boys will be in my arms on the couch as we watch the Aggies beat tu on Thanksgiving day!

Gig 'em Aggies!

~Javier

Pack n Play!

Today we went to Latrice's Dr appt. It was good this time. We were actually seen on time as opposed to the last 2 visits that were 1 hour behind schedule. The Dr. was actually very pleasant as well. With her, you just don't know if we're going to get Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde. Don't get me wrong, she's always professional but not always "user-friendly". We were in and out in 45 minutes and that was a record (our first visit with her was 2.5 hours and exhausting). The Dr.'s visit went well and everything is looking good. We are scheduled for a sonogram next Thursday (16th) and then another Dr. visit on 20 Oct 08.


I was not supposed to go to the appt. but we got out of school 3 hours ahead of schedule, so we took advantage of our good fortune. Instead of rushing off to the golf course, I took Latrice to lunch, then baby shopping, and then off to the Dr. I have been very lucky with my schedule. I have yet to miss a Dr.'s appt. ever since we found out the great news. After our appt. we went to Fredericksburg to get some Carl's Ice cream. It is the best ice cream on the planet!

So we went to Target and purchased the Eddie Bauer Soothe and Sway Play Yard (pack n play) as seen in the pictures. I think that about covers us as far as the "big ticket" items. We set the pack n play up and now the trick is going to be to keep our cat out of it and making sure it does not become her new sleeping spot.


We also picked up some baby formula in case mommy has a hard time producing enough milk for the boys. Every time we go into the baby section we come out with more stuff than we intended. We got a "hygiene kit" and some hand mittens as well. Grandma Myong has tasked mommy to pick up a new outfit for the boys as well. Her orders were clear- 2 complete outfits complete with shoes and "pretty" hats. So, we spent some time looking for that but came out empty-handed.


In other news, Latrice's friend wants to put together a Baby Shower for her here in Virginia. Latrice is going with it, but she knows that we have a lot of friends who will not be able to come to it. That is just one of the few sacrifices that is made with a military life-style. Also, some of our friends have asked about a gift registry. Latrice has set up a baby registry at amazon.com. The link is to the left. It is better to use the baby registry as items will be taken off the list as they are purchased and can be sent directly to us.

I took a few new pictures of mommy since I feel that she is now in a growth spurt. I have no doubt in my mind that our 2 precious baby boys weigh at least 3 pounds now. So, she has the equivalency of a 6 pound baby in her belly and it is really starting to show!


Our boys are doing great. Every night I read them a book and now when I come home, I not only greet Latrice with a kiss, I also announce to the boys that I am home. The boys are starting to recognize my voice and they are very responsive to it.


All in all, life is good and we are very happy with our pregnancy.



~Javier

P.S> Don't be afraid to leave us some comments, we enjoy hearing from yall as well!

Being pregnant with twins

So Javier has reminded me that I need to update about what I'm going through with this pregnancy. I did this during my first trimester and I should preface by saying that the third trimester is WAAAAYY different. So where shall I start?
We have posted some pics of my belly growth. Yeah yeah, people keep telling me how small my belly looks for having twins. Let me just say that it does not in any way feel small. Regardless of how I look like I'm carrying the babies, I am carrying twice the amount and weight than a woman carrying one baby. So I've got two babies at a little over 3 pounds each instead of one. And there are two placentas taking up space in there too. There is twice the amniotic fluid. There is twice the kicks and movement. I feel like my entire center mass is dedicated to housing these babies. During a growth spurt, it seems like I can actually feel my uterus stretching. If you can remember a time that you ate too too much and your belly was so tight that you thought it might pop if you even take a deep breath..... well, I'm feeling like that most of the time now. I feel stretched to the limit on the outside and the inside. So I start to think.... how am I going to keep getting bigger? I feel like there isn't going to be enough room. It's a good thing the woman's body is capable of miraculous things. I take little comfort in knowing that my body is going to somehow accomodate these babies because I'm not looking forward to the way it feels. Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderous thing to know you are carrying a living being within you and feeling all those movements can sometimes be very emotional. But right now, I'm feeling like a cargo ship commissioned to bear an unbearable load.
So what is the effect of these expanding babies? Oh my..... plenty. I'm finding it hard to breathe even when I'm just resting. Depending on my position, I can have really bad heartburn or have a really bad case of the burps. My bladder has a mind of its own. Sometimes I'm going to the bathroom every hour and other times I can actually rest with 3 or 4 hour breaks. If I sit or stand or walk too long, my lower legs and feet start to swell and look like sausages. Sleeping is not comfortable at all anymore. It's a vicious cycle because I'm getting very little good sleep which makes me more tired and want to sleep. The hardest part about sleeping is my back and breathing. My back is in a perpetual arch, like hyperflexing your spine. And my back muscles get tired and sore and all I want to do is bend forward like slouching. I'd love to bend to touch my toes and stretch my back..... but I can't. My belly won't allow it. The constant desire to bend forward almost makes me anxious. So far, the most comfortable position for my back while I'm in bed is to be flat on my back. But now the babies are so heavy that when I am flat on my back, their weight compresses a major vein to my heart called the inferior vena cava. In just a few minutes of being flat, I become short of breath, dizzy, nauseated, and anxious. I can actually feel my heart rate jump up and it alerts me to change position or risk passing out.
I don't know what else might be interesting. Some people may wonder if I have any stretch marks. Yup. I started popping stretch marks a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I'm using belly oil, but acquiring stretch marks tends to be more genetic than anything else. And I asked my mother about it..... she said she got horrible stretch marks. Well, I don't quite look like a zebra yet, but I'm trying to just let go worrying about it.
One thing from my first trimester that has returned is the fatigue. It could be related to the horrible quality sleep I'm getting or the hard work of building two babies. Whatever the reason, I find myself more tired than I've ever been. There is a lot for me to do, but when I get very tired, I just have to stop and rest.
Oh, people have asked me about any food issues. No, I don't have particular cravings. No, I'm not eating like a horse. As a matter of fact, I find it harder and harder to eat these days. My stomach doesn't have as much room to expand and nothing really sounds appetizing to me lately. Most of the time, I'm forcing myself to eat because I know I need the calories for the babies health. Eating and drinking tons of water has become an unfavorable pasttime for me.
Well, that's about all I can think of at this time. If anyone wants to know something different, leave me a question in the comments and I will try to answer. I realize that this post may come across with a negative connotation or mood. I do not want to convey that message at all. I am very content and happy. I feel very lucky that Javier's school schedule has been one that allows us a lot of time together. We are enjoying this pregnancy and lovingly awaiting the arrival of our boys. I am nervous and excited about being the mother of two little baby boys. My intent for this post is to share my physical experience of carrying around two babies. I can't compare it to carrying one since this is my first pregnancy, so I'm just trying to be as plain about it as I can.
So I'm 30 weeks and 1 day now. Technically, we have 10 more weeks to go. All I can think about is when are my little ones going to make their debut. I want them to grow and stay safe inside me as long as they can. No extra early arrivals. But we are very anxious to meet them.

~Latrice

30 Weeks

We are now at 30 weeks. I wish I could say it has flown, but it hasn't. I am sure that after the twins are here, I am going to be wondering where the time went, but for now it feels like it has been a year. We officially have 10 weeks left. However, full term for twins is 37 weeks. So, we have 7 weeks to go. Latrice and I are ready for our boys to come into our lives. This morning I woke up and told Latrice "Happy 30 weeks!". I told her we have 10 weeks to go but that these next 10 weeks are going to feel like 10 years.

Lately I have been spending a lot of time talking to her belly. We have a microphone that I can talk into some speakers that go right up against her belly. We also use these speakers to play the boys some music. The music varies a little. Most of it is classical, but I have snuck in some conjunto, country, and the fightin' Texas Aggie Band!

Today Latrice finally started packing her hospital bag for her stay. We also discussed what we have left to buy before the twins get here. We need to buy a pack n' play, some more bottles, and a few more clothes. We also need to pick up the changing station pad for the dresser. Latrice is going to make some blankets for the babies from some cool Hawaiian prints that our Hawaiian friend sent us.

The room is coming along great. We found some very handy monkey wall prints that cling to wall. They look really good and they fit into the scheme really well. We also found a monkey pillow for the recliner. Take a look!

~Javier