Sebastian Samuel Garcia

We are very proud to introduce the newest member of our little family clan. His name is Sebastian Samuel Garcia. He was born on December 21, 2010 at 8:21 am in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and was 20 inches long. As you can see, he was born with a head full of hair.

Life in our little home has been crazy and hectic since the birth of little Sebi. On his second day in the hospital, he was diagnosed with mild jaundice. So, while they discharged us after 2 days, we had to return the following day to the lab to check his blood level again. We were scheduled to have a follow up appointment on the following Sunday, but Saturday night started a snowfall that didn't stop til the next day. Needless to say, we didn't go anywhere on Sunday. It was plain to see that Sebi's jaundice was getting better and there was no need to take the risk of driving in the snow for a doctor to tell us that.

The day after we came home from the hospital, the big boys started showing signs of being ill. They both started coughing with fever and lots of snot. So we started trying to keep them away from Sebi and me (since I'm the food source). A few days later, the boys worsened and it was apparent that they were really sick, but again the snow prevented us from taking them to get checked out. A few days after that, the boys started improving, but Welita Lupita and Papi started to get sick. I have to commend them for their perseverance in taking care of the big boys while being so sick. They essentially took turns taking naps and trying to recover while taking care of the big boys and helping me to take care of Sebi (since I was recovering from the C-section). A few days after that, Sebi and I started showing signs of becoming sick.

Sebi being sick at such a young age was too alarming to let go, so we went to the doctor to get checked out. We had thought it would just be a cold, but it wasn't worth risking his life if it was RSV, so we wanted to get RSV ruled out for our peace of mind. Well, they swabbed Sebi and it turned out that he had RSV. Considering his young age and how dangerous RSV can be, the doctor decided to admit Sebi into the hospital for observation. This was New Year's Eve day. We spent that night and the following night in the hospital. Javier stayed with me the first night until midnight so that we could ring in the new year together. Poor Lupita was at home watching the big boys even though she was very sick herself.

After two days in the hospital with no worsening or acute events, they discharged us home. Today, I took Sebi in for a follow up and he still looks good. He is sick. He's coughing and sneezing and has green boogies, but has no fever and doesn't seem to be in any pain. The two doctors that examined him today made several comments about how impressed they were with his condition for having RSV and being so young. And they both attributed some of that to the fact that he is breastfeeding. If breastfeeding has made his illness less harsh or has possibly saved his life, then all the pain, sweat and tears of it are definitely worth it.

So now, Sebi and I are sick and doing our best to recover. The big boys are doing better with a lingering cough, but they are feeling well and playing like their old selves. Lupita and Javier are recovering. I'll be so glad when we are all well and I can sterilize this house of all the germs.

In other news, Javier returned to work today. It was so nice to have him home for two weeks. We were all spoiled by having him around all the time. While the big boys were sick, they clung to Javier like baby Koala bears. I think it was a huge bonding experience for them. Sadly, Javier did not get a lot of bonding time with Sebi because he was trying to keep the sick germs away from the baby. Well, the good thing about babies is that there is plenty of time to bond and snuggle.

Sebi is quite different from both our big boys. He looks a bit like the both of them, but his demeanor is 100% unique. So far, he sleeps well and eats well and when he is awake, he is a very content and alert little man. My favorite thing to do is stare at his little face and hold his little hands. I marvel at his beauty and innocence. My heart is bursting with love and gratitude for him. Since he is my last baby, I am trying to savor every bit of him. And since he is only one baby, it is easier to do than it was with our twins.

People have asked how the twins are adjusting to little Sebi. Well, they haven't had much contact with him since he was born because of all the sick germs floating around. At first, Jacob was upset at the sight of Sebi. He cried and clung to Javier a lot. Joaquin seemed indifferent. Now, Jacob likes to point at him and wants to touch him. Whenever he touches him, he smiles and giggles. Joaquin stares at him and points at him when he gets a little fussy. When I ask, "where is Sebi?", they both point to him. I think they are warming up to him. I have a feeling that Jacob will be a very protective and doting big brother. Joaquin seems only interested in Sebi in passing.

I'll take a moment to explain some of the pictures. The one where Javier is holding Sebi in the sunlight was in the hospital room where we were giving him some sunlight therapy for his jaundice. The Christmas photo of Sebi in the stocking is cute because it's the same stocking that we took pictures of the twins in two years ago. Back then, the stocking swallowed up the boys. Sebi is significantly larger and we had a hard time fitting him into the stocking at all. We tried to get the big boys to unwrap Christmas gifts, but they weren't really into it. Joaquin didn't want anything to do with the gifts. I have a feeling that this will be the only year that they show no interest in gifts. And the last few pictures are of Sebi's first bath at home.

Well, that is all for now. I know there are a lot more things I could blog about from the past couple of weeks, but I'm pretty tired and can't even think straight right now. I hope all our family and friends are having a good new year. We are happy and grateful for the life that we have.

Take care,
~Latrice

Catching up

Wow, time has flown by. I know some of our family and friends are eagerly waiting for our updates because...... Sebastian Samuel Garcia was born on Dec. 21, 2010....

BUT......

in the interest of keeping this blog chronologically correct, I have to update a few things that happened before our precious new baby was born.

So, this will be quick and sweet, so I can move on to other happenings.....

A few weeks ago, on a rainy weekend day, Javier had some quick things to do at work, so we decided to make a trip of it. We had not seen Javier's workplace since he moved into the hangar. Previously, they had been working in temporary trailer things while the hangar was undergoing renovations. So this was our chance to check out Javier's office and workplace.

The boys had a good time running around and exploring the hangar. The best part was that we were pretty much the only people there since it was a weekend, so the boys didn't have any strangers to worry about dodging. They just looked all around.

In other recent events, the boys had their 2nd birthday party at Chuck E Cheese on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010. We invited a few friends who have toddler kids and of course my bestie and her kids. The boys were pretty oblivious to the fact that it was their birthday. Joaquin did not like all the noise and lights of the place. Jacob loved running around and looking and touching all the games. They didn't pay any attention to the birthday show that the workers do for the kids. We did the traditional cake and candles thing, but the boys didn't really understand what it was all about. I suppose that doesn't really matter in the end. The most important thing is that we celebrated their birthday, we have the photos to prove it, and they had fun.

On a side note, my car battery died when we wanted to leave. It couldn't be jumped or anything. We had to have it towed. Turns out it was a bad battery and after replacing it, my car is back in good shape.

One of the pictures here includes me. It's the last good prego pic of me before our new addition is born.

That's all for this entry. Now I need to work on the next one. Hope our friends and family enjoy these pictures until I get the next post up. I'm hoping to have it up by tonight or tomorrow!

~Latrice