Adventures in Fatherland

Thanks Rick...

2010-01-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

For keeping me on track...

So I dropped the ball...

2009-01-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

I've been terribly remiss in not posting anything in over 6 months, like there wasn't anything happening in that time.

There's no time like the present to write and Poppy just gave me yet another reason. Gina was in the kitchen and Poppy was watching TV with me. Gina sneezed and Poppy and I said, at the same time, "Bless you", but then she added the beautiful word "Mommy." How precious that child is.

I've got other stories but those will be mere reflections on what's happened. Bad Daddy!

Tilly, on the other hand is in bed with a fever and is quite subdued. On Wednesday she did the best excited "dance" ever. Our nanny Candice had called in sick on Monday and wasn't able to work on Tuesday so when she got here on Wednesday, Tilly bent her arms and made fists then rotated her torso from side to side, very quickly, making an excited squeak sound. It was so damn cute.

We both heard it, I swear!

2008-06-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning we got the girls up and were sitting on the sofa. Tilly was walking around and I said to her, "Tilly, I love you." I did this same thing the day before and she turned and ran to me and gave me a big hug. I was hoping for the same reaction so Gina could see it. Instead, she came over and, while climbing into my lap, said "I love you" back.

Of course it sounded more like that all too familiar video of the dog saying "I wah woo", but she said it! If Gina wasn't there to hear it no one would believe me...not even her! It damn near made me cry.

Now do I really think she knew what she was saying?
No, I'm sure she was just mimicking me.

Do I care?
No way. She said she loved me and that's that!

Long awaited pics.

2008-06-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

I'm posting too many pics to add any sort of commentary right now. I am just happy they are up!

Unlike everything else on this blog, as you scroll down these pictures should be in chronological order...or roughly so.

Enjoy...and check back for more soon.

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Kissy face.

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Mommy time

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Nice Teeth

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Breakfast

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Playing Dressup

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BFF

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Our favorite expression.

2008-06-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

Tilly started giving this dirty look when she couldn't do or have anything she wanted. Gina was on the receiving end first and told me about it. It didn't take long for her to do it again while I was around. It's hillarious. When she did it to me I started giving it back to her and then I'd laugh and she'd start laughing...eventually.

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The kind of father I hope I'd be.

2008-06-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

I came across this entry that I'd thought I published back before the girls arrived. I didn't, but it's good, and appropriate, to finally post it on the eve of Father's Day.

Adventures in Fatherland Archives: Team Hoyt

Priceless works of art.

2008-06-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Poppy's

and Tilly's

Morning has broken.

2008-06-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

The morning is still and I'm enjoying the silence while savouring my first cup of Timothy's Midnight Madness coffee laced with a hint of the chai tea Gina brewed sometime yesterday. I guess we need to run an empty shot through the Keurig after brewing a flavored anything!

The weekends are great because we get to spend the entire day with the girls but far too scheduled to really be the weekend I used to look forward to. I mean, there is a finite amount of sleep to be had because sometime between 7:30-8:00am they start stirring and the horses have left the gate!

Uh-oh. I just heard the first cough and it's only 6:45am! Not good...they may be cutting into my "me" time!

They've finally learned that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. When one starts crying or fussing and we give them any attention, the other will start, if you can really call it crying without any tears, crying so we will pay attention to them, too. Right! I try not to pick them up unless I know for certain they have injured themselves or have a genuine reason to be crying and aren't just begging for attention.

Notice I said attention, not affection. Too often, when we pick them up, they wiggle around to get down within seconds. They don't want to be kissed or give hugs...no...they want to make sure it is they who are still in control. I'm convinced that's it. "Let's just see who is running this house?" must be running through their little heads the whole time.

Of course we like to think it's Mommy and Daddy, but I'm beginning to wonder myself. As I sit her writing this and look around the room I can see that our stuff has been relegated to a corner of the room. Our stuff would be the TV and stereo. Sure we have furniture, but really, a sectional, 2 ottomans, and a side table are just indoor playground equipment for the twins, so at best it's 1/2 ours. They don't really mess with the floor lamps anymore so I guess those belong to us...for now. And the TV usually has Nick Jr. or a Backyardigans DVD in so, I ask, is it really ours? They already have a flat screen in what was formerly our bedroom. I'm afraid I'm burning out the circuitry with Baby Einstein videos...that poor television...I'm sure it had great hopes of playing the finest HD programming and videos, but cartoons...it's wonderful to aspire to greatness, but what a blow!

Forget about urban sprawl. That radiates from a center. Baby sprawl is my concern. It is a centripetal force to be reckoned with. Every time we put the girls down for a nap, we reset (that's what I call it) the room. All their toys are put back into the basket, all their books are put in the crate, the toys that come apart are put back together, and the missing balls are found and restocked in the proper toys. These things are all around the periphery of the room so we have space to walk and the dogs can lounge and regroup before the girls awake and chase them around with their strollers...poor dogs.

So the room is reset and we are enjoying a little bit of peace, Gina will try to nap just about the time the girls are going to wake...I keep telling her to nap right after we put them down but it's inevitable that within 15 minutes of her nap we hear them. Most if the time it's sweet giggles and coos, but sometimes it's "WAahh!" That's our alarm, time to get moving. The peace has been broken. Within minutes of their feet hitting the floor, they will have "reset" the room the way they like it. Toys and books everywhere. Balls and puzzle pieces hidden under the couch. Dogs sent onto the other side of the gates so they don't get terrorized by some crazed little girl, or 2, with an out of control stroller!

I'm now enjoying my second cup of Joe, or should I say Paul? Paul Newman's Organics Decaf that is. We have one of these Keurig machines that brews one cup of coffee at a time. I must say, I didn't really see the need for it. I mean we have an espresso machine that can make an Americano as easily as an espresso, a regular drip coffee maker, as well as a single Melita cone filter for the "hand crafted" coffees that seem to be so popular...at least here in the City. But Gina wanted one so she got it for Mother's Day. I must say I've enjoyed having it. The coffee isn't as strong as I like it but the darker, full bodied roasts work out quite nicely. And since Gina drinks full-caf and I drink decaf (mostly) it's very convenient...and no mess either, the K-Cup simply pops out and is dropped in the trash, no coffee grounds or drips trailing from machine to can. Very nice. This has been an unpaid advertisement. The writer assumes all responsibility for it's content.

Now that you've been kind enough to read my ramblings it's a good time for some pics...these are from last weekend.

There's the bell and they're off and running...it's Tilly in the lead, making the first squeak in the nursery with Poppy close behind...

How bad are we?

2008-06-11T23:07:00.000-07:00

Sure this looks innocent enough. They're just enjoying their breakfast right?

And the Backyardigans! A little TV with breakfast...just like Mommy and Daddy. We're just so bad.

These girls are so gosh darn cute these days.

They dance and sing and keep us in stitches. They have both developed so much personality and I hope it continues. Sometimes they're shy but quickly warm up and other times they're completely gregarious from the get-go.

We went to Costco last week and the girls were waving at everyone. A Mom walked by with her son in her arms and Tilly waved to him...and he waved back. It was so cute.

They're talking, too, but for the life of me I can't understand any of it except 1 or 2 words. Mama and Dada they've got down pat but only a few others including diaper, poop, dog, bottle, banana... The thing that amazes me is how much they understand. I can tell them to get their other shoe and they'll do it or to give something to mommy and they'll bring it to her. The best was this morning, Tilly pulled their placemats out of a bag and was carrying them around. I made up their sippy cups and the girls made a fuss for them but I told Tilly to put the placemats back in the bag... AND SHE DID!!! She went over and picked the overturned bag up off the floor and put them both into the bag then came and got her bottle. How do they know what we're saying?

They do talk to each other and I swear they understand themselves. Last night at dinner, or maybe it was the night before, Tilly was focusing on something when Poppy said something to her while holding her fork out, offering it and what was on it to Tilly. She put down her fork, turned to Poppy's and took it without missing a beat. I'm convinced Tilly knew what Poppy said.

I hope to be that smart someday!

Big Daddy - December 4, 1932 - March 3, 2008

2008-03-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

Our family has suffered a great, sad and unfortunate loss.

Big Daddy, the girls' grandpa passed away on Monday, the 3rd of March, from...we don't know exactly. Some sort of infection is suspected but we don't know for sure.

He was being treated in Houston for a blood disorder called MDS. It's somewhat of a precursor to Leukemia and we were hoping that his treatments would put it into remission for 18-24 months. We had great hopes. After his first round of a new treatment protocol we were quite optimistic, then he got a fungal infection and they had to go into his sinuses and remove tissue and bone that had become necrotic. Days before he was supposed to be released from the hospital his blood pressure dropped and the doctors put him in the ICU just to be safe.

His low blood pressure cause his kidneys to operate at diminished capacity and he retained about 40 pounds (~5 gallons) of fluids. They started him on dialysis to eliminate some of the fluid but he went into cardiac arrest. They were able to stabilize him, albeit temporarily, and he passed about 3 hours afterwards.

Gina was in Reno for work and started making plans to get to Houston to see him as soon as she could, which turned out to be almost 8pm. The next day she flew home and we flew to Florida for the services 2 days later.

He was a great man and loved the twins. Gina is understandably sad for so many reasons, not the least is she can't call him everyday on the way into work. But she is also sad because she really wanted the girls to have memories of Big Daddy.

And he really loved his grand babies. Almost everyone of his friends I spoke with at the services mentioned how much he enjoyed and loved and couldn't wait to see the girls.

For me, he was a wonderful Father-in-law. He welcomed me into the family without hesitation or conditions and made me feel like I'd been a part of it for years. We should all be so fortunate to have people like Big Daddy in our lives.

If you've read much of this blog, especially the parts about Teagan, then you know I look for signs to let me know that those who have been called home are still "around".

Last week we were in the kitchen feeding the girls. I had my back to the room and Gina was doing something by the fridge when she said "Scott, do you see that?"

I turned around and to see one sauce pan and a hanging basket swinging on the rack. I had felt a sharp blow of cold air through the window a moment before she called me but it wasn't enough to get these swinging like they were AND they weren't slowing down. The other thing I should mention is that these are hanging from a wire shelf that serves as a pot rack and had many other pans in between that weren't moving at all. And these things weren't anywhere near each other...one was on the left side about 1 foot from the end and the other on the right end...a good 3 feet between.

I looked at Gina and said "Teagan? No."

She said "Big Daddy!"

Gina said if he's going to be anywhere, it's with the girls. Which makes me wonder if they've seen him and if some of their chatting is to him, or Teagan. Hmmmm.

For me it's reassuring and comforting that those we love surround us more than they ever could when they walked among us.

Rest in peace, Big Daddy...and visit often...we love and miss you.

Today was one of the best days of my life.

2008-03-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

This morning started off great. When I went into the nursery to get the girls I immediately noticed the distinctive scent of vomit mixed with the mintiness of White Flower Oil. It was Poppy. Fortunately, she was in great spirits...probably because she was about to get another bath barely 12 hours after her last one. I know she loves her baths but this isn't the best way to get one!

We played a little then wanted to take the girls out for breakfast. We weren't out of the house for 5 minutes when, again, I noticed the familiar smell of...barf! There goes breakfast!

So we went home and Gina fed the girls while I removed the cover, straps, and hardware from the smelly car seat and washed them. The girls went down for a nap as I came upstairs and they slept for about 2 hours.

So we had breakfast and relaxed. Gina even tried to take a nap (I think she managed to drift off a bit) but Tilly put an end to that.

After they got up we went for a walk to the Castro with our new stroller...a fancy tandem model which is much easier to maneuver than the side by side ones. The girls love the new stroller, probably because it's so open on the sides and it's much like Mister Toad's Wild Ride...or should I say we push it like that! Got some coffee and groceries then stopped for a little lunch. The girls were both so happy.

We came home and after playing some more the girls took a late nap. Tilly awoke around 6 so I started their dinner and Gina woke Poppy sometime around 7pm just so she could eat...not much, but at least a few bites.

We put them down for the night later than usual but Poppy managed to throw in one more good barf for the evening. It was very much like the guy at the end of Monty Python's Meaning of Life. Get me a bucket. She did it so matter of factly, unfortunately she was in Gina's arms and it came pouring down on her arm completely without warning. She didn't make a peep or cry afterwards.

They finally got to bed around 8:45 and we heated up some leftovers for ourselves. And now I have to run to the store for some much needed supplies.

Sounds pretty ordinary and uneventful, huh? It may seem so but I'll tell you, the time I spend on the floor with the girls crawling all over me, sitting in my lap or leaning against me; every time they come over and raise their arms asking to be picked up; every forehead kiss and smile; every time they turn and run just so I'll chase after them; every time they try to feed me their snacks or give me their pacifier; and every time I look at them and just about start to cry because I love them so much makes every seemingly ordinary moment extra-ordinary.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas y'all.

2007-11-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

For the first time in my 43 years, I found out that Santa has a southern drawl! If for no other reason than he was at Phipps Plaza in Atlanta. He must just fit in everywhere...I bet he has an English accent in London, too.

The girls got to see Santa for the first time just before Thanksgiving. We made a guess who would cry first when they were put on Santa's lap...we both lost. Neither of them made a peep, let alone cry. I was so proud and can't wait to see the actual pictures.

Here is one I took, don't they look like dolls? After about 20 seconds though they were squirming and flailing unlike any doll I've ever seen. Oh what fun.

Lil' Pumpkins

2007-11-27T22:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some fun pics of the girls at the pumpking patch.

For years I've heard about Half Moon Bay-"The Pumpkin Capital"-being great fun so we thought we'd give it a try. Of course we had to go the weekend of the Pumpkin Festival.

It took about an hour to get from the freeway to the first pumpkin patch...we went to the second. They even had a petting zoo and pony rides.

The popular patches were the next ones down the road so after we got the pics and our pumpkins we walked next door...what a freakin' zoo!

They were packed and the reason it took an hour to get into Half Moon Bay was because they were stopping traffic so pedestrians could cross between the 2 main patches. What a mess.

We'll stick to our little patch.

Meow.

These black cats can cross my path anytime!

Ever wake up and wonder what happened?

2007-11-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday we celebrated the girls 11th month. I can't believe it's gone this quickly. They are both walking now. Poppy is a pro as she's really been walking since the beginning of September. Tilly has been quite content to walk on her knees for about a month (I guess...time is a blur!) but she is beginning to realize it's quicker to actually get up and take a step. She started walking well on Thursday. She'd been getting up and taking 2 or 3 steps for a short while, even making a few jaunts with 5-6 steps, then Herminia took the girls for a play date and BAM! she's walking distances. It may only be 10 feet in a not-so-straight line, but she gets where she wants to get. Her confidence is building.

When the girls first arrived, I had the distinct honor or deciding who received what name. It wasn't the least bit difficult to give Baby A the name Matilda and Baby B the name Poppy based solely on how they were in the nursery. Both girls were crying, having just left the warm confines of Mommy, but Baby A looked more "classical" and seemed a bit serene. Baby B on the other hand was half a pound lighter, almost spindly, with a more distinct look and seemed agitated. The names were as different as the girls and the decision was easy..

In those early months both were happy babies but Tilly was happy to take a nap while Poppy seemed to fight it. Fortunately they both take to sleep relatively easily, now. Still Matilda is the first to wake up, like she's going to miss something. I just heard her screech...I guess she wants to get up!

For months Poppy has been ahead of Tilly physically, doing most things first, especially climbing, which earned her a nickname that is derivative of monkey.

Okay change of subject...more of a detour actually. I just got the girls up and they're changed and relaxing with their bottles while they watch "Classical Baby". Poppy got up and walked over to the couch with her bottle because she wanted to get on the couch and sit with Daddy...now so does Tilly! AND I DON'T HAVE A CAMERA!!! Oh well, back to the story...

So Poppy not only learned how to climb onto things like the couch and ottoman, she even flipped out of her crib once, fortunately Gina was there to catch her front end while I had a leg. More impressive to us, and more important, was that she learned how to climb off of things feet first. Gina and I sat there amazed, which seems to be our mental state so much of the time with these children.

Tilly seemed just seemed top be content...until she became mobile! Now she plows over her sister like a monster truck over a pile of junkyard cars. And when she was crawling and Poppy was walking...let's just say speed bump! Oh, before I forget...Tilly clapped her hands last night for the first time.

Well all this is leading up to some folks saying that the girls would probably switch roles/personalities...I don't know if that has happened, but Tilly has definitely become more Poppy-like in her behavior. I guess that's mostly a product of being mobile and learning how to do things. And Poppy has become more Tilly-like in her ability to relax and sit with us.

Both of these girls are such a delight to be around. It's almost enough to say that the sleep deprivation was worth it!

2007-09-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind! Every time I sit down to write something, my brain just goes...huh?

The lack of sleep, though it's not as bad as it has been, still makes me feel like I can't see straight sometimes. Nonetheless, much has happened since the last time I did this.
After a practice trip to Long Beach to see how the girls did (and they were awesome!) we took the girls back to Orlando to see Grammy & Grandad, and Big Daddy and Granny. They were great on that flight, too. Other passengers told us how good they were and one woman was surprised when I told her there were 2 babies...she couldn't believe it.

Gina had to work so they put us up at the J.W. Marriott. What a great hotel. the staff was wonderful but the icing on the cake was the "lazy river" that connected all of the pools together. We got innertubes for the girls and we floated them around the river a few times and they loved it. Who am I kidding? I loved it!

While we were going around once, I asked Gina if we could move here.
"Florida?" she asked.
"No, the hotel!"

Floating down a river...add lunch and a cool beverage poolside...we should all live each day like this!

The first morning the maids made up the room they made up the Pack and Plays, and arranged their toys, too.

How I didn't want to leave.

In a word...Trouble.

2007-07-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

There we were, Gina in the play yard with the girls and I was relaxing on the couch...okay I like to say relaxing but it's really my lack of sleep. We both happened to be watching the girls (I know...unbelievable) instead of checking email or searching craigslist for some incredible value we can't live without, at the exact moment that Poppy let go of the little play table she'd been interacting with. Guess what happened next? If you said she fell down you'd be right...and wrong! She did fall down but only after she stood on her own for a split second. If we blinked we'd have missed it, but we didn't.

she did it a couple more times during the day. I've already had dreams about both of them walking but please, Lord, let them crawl for the next couple of months and take their time walking! Amen.

I love seeing them learn new things, but I'm afraid I'll forget all the steps they've already learned to get where they are.

I guess that's the way it goes.

You asked for it.

2007-07-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

Or maybe you didn't, but you're getting it anyways! Pictures, pictures and more pictures!!! This is just the first half (and not all of those, either!) With any luck, I'll have the rest up this afternoon.

God, do I love these girls!

2007-07-14T11:00:00.001-07:00

These girls are phenominal. Tilly is watching me from her swing, having just awakened from a nap, while Poppy is standing up next to me, intrigued by the computer.

Yes I did say standing...not on her own, of course. She requires something to pull herself up, but if she had a license plate frame it would say: "I'd rather be standing." That child climbs on everything. If she could balance she'd already be walking. For now she's stuck crawling. And she crawls like a frog walking...you know, she insists on using her feet instead of her knees, but she can move.

Tilly on the other hand does things about 1 1/2-2 weeks after her sister. She just started crawling this week but her movements are more fluid, coordinated and deliberate than Poppy...more like a turtle than a frog!

The first 6.

2007-06-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday marked the twins 6 month birthday. Absolutely amazing! Things are finally making sense...that is...things aren't such a blurr anymore. The girls are so much fun to be with now that they react and interact with us.

Breakfast celebration

They got to eat this treat...

Mommy and I got to enjoy this one!

As messy as front row seats at the Gallager show.

2007-05-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

Feeding Poppy last night was a train wreck. Every time we put a spoonful in her mouth, she would not spit it out so much as spray it out! Using her new-found raspberry technique, she would p-l-l-l-l-l (or however you would spell the raspberry sound) peas, sweet potatoes and bananas all over hitting mostly herself, Tilly and occasionally Mommy and me.

And all we could do was watch, laugh, and reload!

This blog seemed so do-able...

2007-05-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

Little did I know how much time these 2 little darlings would take. When, finally, we get them to bed I don't really want to blog AND my brain has been in some sort of fog for the last 25 weeks. But I sense the fog may be clearing.

Tilly has been sleeping through the night for a few weeks now but Poppy needed a feed usually every 3 hours. With our lifestyle, sleeping through the night for us is from midnight to around 6am. That would give us a 6 hour stretch of potentially uninterrupted sleep rather than 3 hours we've (and by we, I mean Gina) been getting.

So, Poppy has been stretching her middle of the night feed to 5 hours a few times and then last night went from midnight to 6:30 this morning...Yippie!

We think it's because we've started feeding them solid foods. What a mess that is! Fortunately, they took to eating pretty quickly and easily...and can they eat! We just shovel it in and they take it. Sure a lot gets ejected but with a quick squeegee it's ready to re-shovel.

It now seems that we've found the missing piece of the "sleep through the night" puzzle. I really hope this isn't a phase!

They also don't seem to be teething as much, and I'm sure that is having an impact, too.

Whatever works! It'll be great to think clearly again...be able to blog...and to be able to type without making errors about every 3 words!

Daddy...

2007-05-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

That was the first thing out of Tilly's mouth around 4:40 this morning. It was clear as day...daa-dee. As I was popping a paci back into Poppy's mouth, I said "I'm right here darling."

It was even in a regular speaking voice, not the rather erratic, excited burst that so much of their talking is. Usually she says something that sounds like daa-bprrr. That would be "daa" and a raspberry sound.

Now I must say that although I'm quite impressed with how much they are actually doing, I know she hasn't yet associated me to these sounds. Mommy has been teaching her to say Daddy for a while because she wants the girls to call for me first...not her! Daddy Daddy Daddy. Won't that be fantastic!

Regardless, it was sweet to hear.

Does anyone remember laughter?

2007-04-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

The girls are both giggling. It is one of the most beautiful sounds ever. Pure unabashed and uncontrolable laughter. I can't explain fully to those of you that don't have children...I didn't know it til this week...but it is something that everyone should experience.

Yesterday made 17 weeks.

2007-04-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...it's been a very long time since I've posted anything. I've had great intentions but then I sit down to write and the girls demand attention.

They've gotten so much bigger...they've tripled their birthweight. At the last weigh-in Tilly was 13lbs 3oz and Poppy was 12lbs 1oz. And they're long. We haven't measured their length lately but Poppy can just about touch one rail with her head and the other with her feet. We're going to have to use the co-sleeper as a crib in no time.

We are working on getting them sleeptrained. Tilly can go for about 6 hours between feeds but Poppy barely makes it to 3 hours...though she has made it 4 1/2 hours a couple of times. Actually, that's not fair. We dream feed her every 3 hours until the midnight feeding and then she wakes us up for her overnight bottles.

But they are sleeping. For a while we were having the worst time with Poppy. That is until we realized she wasn't getting enough sleep. Her bewitching hour was sometime from 4 to 7pm. She would become overstimulated and frusterated and then all hell would break loose! There was little we could do to appease her other than to swaddle her and hold her. Now we put her down for more naps (even if they're only 30min catnaps!) and put her to bed earlier. It has made such a difference...she wakes with a smile on her face, they both do.

We're convinced that Tilly can already "Hi"! Well that's what we'd like to think. We always smile big and say hi to the girls then they smile big...and I mean BIG. Does she really say "hi"? She does. Does she know what she's saying and what it means...not a chance! But she does say it at the appropriate time and she is just so damn cute!

2007-02-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

Chances are, if you're reading this blog you already know what I do for a living. I thought I was prepared having walked dogs for 10 years, but no. Dog poop may have taken the edge off but there is definitely a difference in...scent. Not to mention texture!

Maybe if we got the girls on some sort of kibble...really good kibble, of course.

Tomorrow makes 11.

2007-02-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

11 weeks that is. Seems like forever since I've blogged but time does have a way of slipping away and my mind isn't as sharp as it was before they arrived. It's not just the sleep disruption, I get plenty of sleep...just not uninterrupted. It's more just the mind numbing of doing the same series of things every 3 hours or so. Feed, burp, change, try to comfort to sleep. Or if we really want to spice it up we'll change them before we feed them! It seems the only thing that changes is what's on the television.

They are sleeping in their crib at night now...and it was painless. We were worried that we'd have problems getting them from our bed to theirs...including the whole "cry it out" thing. We started putting them in after their midnight feeding and left them in until whatever time they awoke for the next . Then they'd be in bed with us until the first morning feed. Then we started putting them back after their middle of the night feeding and they would sleep til morning. Now we try to put them in after the 9pm feeding.

They've also been sleeping longer through the night. We went to the cabin 2 weeks ago and the girls slept in their pack and play from midnight-ish until nearly sun up. It turned out to be somewhere between 5 and 6 hours. We thought it may have been all the excitement of the ride and getting there but they've been pretty consistent at getting 5 hours in a stretch. I prefer they sleep from midnight til 5am...or 6am would be even better. But on Monday, Grandma and Grandpa M came down and watched them so Gina and I could go have a wonderful dinner for our 7th anniversary. They took care of them overnight, while we slept downstairs, and put them down after the 9pm feeding and let them sleep through their midnight feed. We did that again last night but they woke up incredibly hungry around 3:30am. I think tonight we'll wake them for the midnight and let them sleep til morning.

Now that I write this I'm quite happy. I know everyone talks about the 7 to 7 sleep. Sure that will be great but I'm quite happy with 9 to 6...actually it is closer to 7! They still need a feeding sometime in the middle of the night even when they are sleeping from 7 to 7 so we're close and it was all so sudden.

We had their 2 month checkup last week. The girls are both 22 inches long. They've grown 4 1/2" - 5"...basically from the knee down! And they weigh 10lb 8oz for Tilly and 9lb 9oz for Poppy. They are in the 50th and 25th percentile respectively. We're told preemies catch up by the time they reach 2 years old so the doctors are happy they're on the curve already.

New things they're doing:

Smiles and grins
Laughs and giggles (without being tickled!)
I caught Tilly sucking on her fingers, or trying to...her thumb is still tucked firmly in her fist.

Life is good.

8 Weeks and counting

2007-01-31T21:44:00.000-08:00

Well tomorrow, Thursday, makes 8 weeks. Where has the time gone?

I know, I know...I've been really bad about writing. Sorry. Honestly, it's hard to find the time I had before and with the lack of sleep it's difficult to string these words together in any sort of coherent, entertaining sort of way.

Everyone that has children assures me that sleep will come eventually. I sure hope so!

Shelly came up and took some great pics of the girls. If all goes well, they'll be in Wonder Times magazine sometime around June or July.

Here's a few of the shots but I'll try to get more up soon. Time to feed...enjoy!

BTW-The other cutie is my niece Sophie.

2007-01-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

As I write this, Poppy is laying with her head in the crook of my elbow. So excuse me if my typing is off!

I can sit here for hours and just look at her. The way her eyebrows are starting to grow in while the hair on her head is disappearing...though it looks like there is new peach fuzz to make up the difference.

But the way she moves her lips, the way she turns deep red and back to normal coloring in a matter of seconds, and the way she goes from a peaceful, almost angelic, expression to one of pure frustration instantly, all amaze me.

We went to the pediatrician today for our 1 month check up (really 5 weeks). The girls have both put on more than 3 pounds since birth. Poppy weighed 7lbs 2oz and Matilda was 7lbs 9oz. Both were 19.5" in length.

Gina said it's no wonder they're fussy, we'd be fussy too if we just about doubled our weight in a month. I guess I'll cut them some slack...for now!

Maybe it's just gas.

2007-01-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

The girls have started smiling, it seems intentionally. They really smile for Gina especially when she tickles their face.

She even noticed that they do things with a day or 2 of each other. Tilly was smiling a couple of days ago and Poppy started today. They've both really started to focus on things but they still have little control over their extremities.

I'm continually amazed at their progress. Not that our girls are doing anything different than other babies their age. I guess it would be better to say I'm amazed at how quickly they, meaning all babies, develop. I know it's minor compared to the previous 36 weeks (going from 1 cell to a baby and all!), but it seems major because it's happening right before our eyes and our eyes are always on them.

Go Gators!

2007-01-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

A fan as far back as she can remember!

Downtime

2007-01-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

Finally there is some downtime. Gina is off getting a mani-pedi and I am watching the girls. Poppy is sleeping...finally! And Tilly is sitting next to me fighting the urge to sleep. She just keeps looking around with eyes wide open, but blinking slowly, and making her dolphin-like sounds.

Yes, she has a unique sound...or should I say sounds. Sometimes it's like a dolphin calling er pod and some of them are like seagull. We just can't pinpoint the sounds. And she makes noise when she's feeding, too. And when she sleeps. And when she poops. She just made a winnie sound like a horse. I have no idea what it all means.

We went up to the cabin on Saturday for the night. They did great in the car, sleeping most of the time, and did fine up the river. Last night for the ride home they were dressed in the same outfits they wore home from the hospital, and the fit!!! I'll try to get new pics of them posted but for now, scroll down to the pics of them in their car seats and imagine them fitting into those outfits...in less than 5 weeks. I was blown away.

Sure, I know they've been growing but I had no idea how much. They packed on the weight when we first brought them home but we haven't been to the doctor since a week after we came home and they don't feel heavy like they did that first week. So Thursday we'll find out just how much they've grown, as we have an appointment with the pediatrician.

Personally, I hope they're pushing 8 pounds so they'll fit "properly" into the Baby Bjorn. We put them in it now but they're swaddled so they can't be that comfortable. I don't think they'll weight 8 pounds but they've got to be over 6 because they're both in "newborn" diapers and the "premies" only went to 6 pounds.

Thursday they'll also be 5 weeks old. It's absolutely amazing that it's been 5 weeks and I have absolutely no idea where the time went. I remember the hospital stay well but after that it's all a blurr. I'm afraid just how quickly time is going to pass.

The Motherload!

2007-01-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

Finally I know! Sorry for the delay with your picture "fix". I wish I had a better excuse than "twins" but that'll have to suffice...this time. Hope you enjoy them and here comes the disclaimer...these are pretty much all we have at the moment. There will be more. But for now this is it! I'll try to write more soon, too. That is, after all the Christmas decorations come down and I've had enough sleep to actually think while I write.

Please feel free to leave a comment, and please use the "other" option or sign it so we will know who you are!

Happy looking!

A Truly Happy New Year

2006-12-31T23:05:00.000-08:00

2006 has turned out to be one of the best of my life. Now that I think about it with the twins and buying the house in Monte Rio, it's probably been THE biggest for sure. And here I sit writing this and I don't feel that much different than I did last year at this time...maybe a bit more tired due to the now 3AM feedings, but overall very much the same.

Then again maybe I'm delerious or demented. The days seem to melt together like a grilled cheese sandwich. One feeding and diaper change runs into the next and I have a hard time remembering details about what happened at the last one...or maybe it was the time before that...no... it was 2 days ago...yeah, now I remember.

What's in a name?

2006-12-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

How did we come up with the names? More than a few have wondered, so here it is in a nutshell.

Turns out we both decided on their first names and then each chose a middle name.

Poppy Sarafina Rose - Gina sent me a list of names she liked and her favorite was Poppy. It took a while, but the name really grew on me. Sarafina is a derivation of her Mother's name Sarah. And Rose is my Mother's middle name.

Matilda Hope Andreana - Matilda was also proposed on that list and it's a name that I've loved ever since the Steve Martin movie "A Simple Twist of Fate". There was an adorable little girl in the movie who was named, you guessed it, Matilda. Coincidentally, there is a distant Grandmother, and I mean distant, in Gina's family that also shares the name. Hope is a tribute to our first born Teagan Hope. And Andreana is a derivation of my middle name Andrew, which was also my Grandfather's name.

That's it in a nutshell...still it took us 4 days after they were born to commit to them.

Gotta go...Time to feed.

The whirlwind cometh.

2006-12-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

It was a day like any other day. I took a group of dogs out, came home, had a bit of something to eat and then we went to the hospital around 3pm. We sat in the pre-op room for about 2 hours while they ran an IV. The anesthesiologist, Paul, was the one that got the stick and turned out to be the favorite player in this game. He gave us the heads up about what to expect. I would be sitting with him, at Gina's head, behind the curtain.

"Can we take pictures and a video?" said I.
"There are signs posted that say you can't, but if anyone says anything tell them I said it was ok." he said.

The Grandparents -1 came in quickly to say hello and then headed up to the waiting room, then I changed into my "scrubs". Actually it was a paper-like fibrous suit that had so much static in it because of the weather.

Shortly thereafter (actually after our 5pm scheduled start time) we headed up ourselves.

Shelby had me wait in the hall while she brought Gina into the O.R. to get her prepped for surgery. Not more than a couple minutes later she came out and said they were letting me in early. I think it was Paul that gave the ok on that, too.

I was told not to touch anything...ANYTHING, so I just stood in the middle about 3' from anything.

Gina got her spinal and I got into position at beside her head. The surgeons suited up, washed up and came in.

Dr. Green was the primary surgeon. She did the proper introduction of the other surgeon that would be working with her and qualified him, them, as the team that has probably delivered more twins than anyone in San Francisco...at least at CPMC. She did introduce the co-surgeon, but never herself. Gina had appointments with her but I wasn't able to attend so I didn't know her from those. And when I say never introduced herself, I mean, not in the O.R., not in the hospital room when she was making rounds, not in the hallway. I still haven't "met" her! I mentioned it to a couple of the nurses and they weren't surprised at all! If I had anything to complain about it would be that...and that nobody really checked the juice machine to see if it was low or out of concentrate so they could defrost some more and have a continuous supply (good thing I worked in a restaurant and knew how to use the microwave!) but that's all.

Back to the story...They put a cover on Gina that had some sort of adhesive "window" that was placed over her belly, where they were going to do the c-section and unfolded it over her legs and towards her head, where it was clamped up to become the curtain. It was perfect because I didn't really want to see what was going on "down there".

So Paul, took a video of us while we were waiting for things to begin. The teams that would take the babies and clean them up came in and were in position.

I smelled something funny, like buring hair and thought it was just the heat lamps above where the girls would be placed to clean them. Then I hear Dr. Green say, "I went in right through the old scar." Turns out that buring hair and skin smell quite similar. I know that sounds awful but the scalpel cauderizes the incision as it cuts to prevent bleeding.

So Dr. Green says, "Time." And Paul says, "I've got 51." I am sitting there, camera running and waiting for them to hold the girls up over the curtain when I hear, "Daddy, do you have your camera ready."

With that, I stood up and was in time to see Baby A being pulled out and flipped down onto Gina's legs. The put the first clamp on the umbilical cord, then the second and then a cut, followed by a pass of a very floppy, flailing baby to the first team for clean up.

From where I was standing I had a great shot at them wiping her off and suctioning out her mouth and bundling her up, amidst a constant cry, one of the most beautiful sounds EVER!

Gina was craning her head, trying to get a glimpse of her.

I turned the camera back just in time to see them cutting the cord on Baby B and then the pass of her, also floppy and flailing, to the team that would clean her up. Now there were beautiful sounds in stereo.

Gina said I was sobbing when I saw them...If I was it isn't on the video, not even the audio, so I don't believe it! I was definitely tearing up, maybe even crying, but not sobbing. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

So they bundled them, in a big poofy Christmas Story down jacket sort of way, and brought them over so we could see them and I had the honor and privelege of holding one for the first time, again Paul got it on video. We were both crying and then they put them into a crib together and said this baby train is leaving. So I got onboard and headed for destinations unknown while they finished the surgery.

We passed 3 of the grandparents enroute to the Wellness Nursery.

Once inside, didn't let up a bit. The girls were quickly taken from their lucite crib, unwrapped and placed under a warming element like a cheeseburger and fries waiting to go out to the table. They were each weighed and measured. Matilda was 4lbs 8oz and 18" long, Poppy was 4lbs 0oz and 17" long. They put ointment into their eyes, gave a vitamin K injection, manipulated their legs to check their hip sockets, pricked their foot to test for blood sugar levels and gave them a bottle. I don't know how long this took, but it seemed like 2 minutes.

There was an Asian family looking at the girls as they were checked out and boy did they look happy. It dawned on me that I should call the grandparents and have them come down to the nursery to get the first glimpse of the new arrivals.

In no time their familiar faces were peering in...their noses might even have been pressed against the glass!

So I'm rolling video with my right hand and snapping pictures with my left and the grandparents are taking pics looking in. And it's a good thing we have the documentation as the whole thing was, and is, such a blur.

So I leave the nursery and stop to visit with the 3 grandparents (the Trio) on the way to Recovery to see Mommy. Of course they want to know names. We had managed to keep them secret until now...mostly because we hadn't really decided on them. So I tell them that one is named Matilda and the other is Poppy.

They weren't thrilled. They weren't even amused. The looks on their faces spoke volumes, and immediately wanted to know if they could call them something else. To which I blurted out, "You'll call them what we say you'll call them!"

It was a rude and defensive reaction on my part and it hurt feelings, for which I'm sorry. But this was the happiest day of our lives and I was just told, in not so many words, "we don't really like the names you've chosen." Gina's dad thought she was kidding when she told him the names.

It must be generational...the grandparents and their generation don't much care for their names but our friends love them. Interesting...very interesting. Kind of like when I had long hair!

So the grandparents went to get some dinner and I went to Recovery to see Gina. While we waited for Gina to get discharged to her (our) room, I called her Dad and told him the good news.

We finally made it up to the room as the Trio was coming back from dinner with their pet name for Matilda...Tilly. Little did they know that Gina and I had came up with the same pet name for her while in Recovery.

As I finish this it's 2 weeks later and I can't remember if I went to the nursery to get the girls or if they brought them in to see us. It's all such a blur.

A 4 day blur with a few lucid moments!

That first night I learned how to hold them for feeding and burping, how to change their diapers, where to get lemonade, how to find the nursery, how to make up the cot, 2 ways to swaddle.

Mostly we just looked at the girls. Little hands, little feet, tiny noses. Beautiful, just beautiful. Much like our time spent with Teagan, we just marvelled at their beauty and perfection and the miracle that they are.

There was a lot of that the entire time. It was all so surreal but in the end we got to take them home with us.

Reality has hit...usually around 4 in the morning these last couple of days! A little sleep deprivation and I'm having a hard time thinking straight!

"It's only temporary"...that's what I'm told. That is more like a mantra...no...
Maybe it's more like a prayer... does anyone know if there's a Saint for peaceful nights and restful sleep?

The twins are 1 week old.

2006-12-14T23:04:00.000-08:00

Well it's been a week and this is really the first time I've had a chance to write. This has been such a great week even with the lack of sleep. I love my family.

What have I learned this week?

How to feed, how to burp, how to swaddle, how to change a diaper, how to hold the girls. The learning curve is quite steep when thrown into it.

The scariest part of this week was when Poppy spit up and it came gushing out her nostrils. Talk about panic. And I mean everyone freaked out starting with Poppy as she struggled for air, followed a millisecond later by Gina. So we also learned how to use the "bulb" to suck the gunk out of her nose. Gina has become much more calm when it happens.

We learned that we weren't doing as good a job as we needed at burping so we have become more thorough at it and now don't really have the spit up problems.

It's off to bed now as I have a 4am feeding but I'll write more soon.

Surprise!

2006-12-12T08:51:00.000-08:00

As Ty Penington would say: "Welcome home, Baby Girls. Welcome home."

We were all discharged from the hospital yesterday, even Poppy. There was the possibility that Matilda would come home with us and Poppy would have to stay in for a while, but she proved that she could put on weight and so they were happy to let us bring them both home.

Now both are sucking down their bottles like they've been in the desert for 36 weeks! Well maybe not that bad, but still quite quickly. It took a while to figure out which nipples we should be using and which formula to use for which but I think we've got it figured out.

As promised...

2006-12-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

Here are some good pics of the twins. I'll write and post more soon...I hope!

A few more.

2006-12-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

The girls.

2006-12-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

X-)

2006-12-09T12:01:00.000-08:00

<:-)

2006-12-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

I promise more...

2006-12-08T23:47:00.000-08:00

I'm having a difficult time getting a signal at the hospital, I'll write more and post more pics when I can.Thanks for all the comments, we love them.

More Pics!

2006-12-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

More Pics!

2006-12-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

They sure clean up well.

2006-12-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

Here are some better shots after their bath.

They're here!

2006-12-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

Introducing Poppy & Matilda

One last look.

2006-12-05T19:14:00.000-08:00

We had our last NST today. Our last chance to see the girls before they arrive.

It really is difficult to imagine how big they're actually going to be based on what is on the screen. If it were actual size, they'd be HUGE! The foot we saw was big, like about 2.5-3" long. But we could see toes... they looked like pudgy little toes. And long fingers, or so they seemed. We'll find out in 2 days time.

We have been so fortunate to be able to see the girls develop during this pregnancy. It has allowed me, and I'm sure Gina, too, to bond with them in a completely different way. I can't feel them the way she can, obviously, but I could see them and all their bits. It's also been reassuring because we were able to see they were developing properly. It's really been quite awesome.

Everyone asks if I'm getting excited. I've been excited for about 35 weeks, 6 days but I don't have that belly full of caffeine feeling...yet. I don't know if it's going to start tomorrow, or on Thursday morning, or when we are going into the O.R., or I first see them, or the first time I get to hold one of them. I do have a sneaking suspicion we aren't even prepared for the whirlwind that is about to hit us. Sure, everything is stocked up and in it's place, but as soon as the girls get dropped in the middle of all this organization it'll be a different story. .. I'm guessing we won't even have time to notice.

Thank you Saint Jude.

2006-12-05T08:10:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been looking through the classifieds and seen this? I have, but never knew what it meant. I now know.

Being raised Catholic, Saints are normal to me. If you aren’t familiar with them, they are people that performed miracles or were martyred while living and have performed miracles in death. They all have an area of “expertise”, if you will, and can be petitioned to help. It’s sort of like asking a friend to pray for you, but as a Saint, they will pray directly to God on your behalf... sort of like whispering in His ear!

Saint Jude helps out when all is hopeless. I will tell you that I know first hand, the power of prayer and St. Jude’s intercession.

I said this for Teagan's pregnancy and we were blessed with an Angel. 2 months later we went to New Orleans, to the police memorial, which used to be a Catholic church. There we visited the largest statue of St. Jude and in his shrine, like so many others, we slipped our written requests under his statue, and said a prayer for his assistance. Here in the City we've visited his shrine at St. Dominic's and lit a candle, and prayed for his assistance. At home we have a St. Jude candle that we burn for him and I'm sure more than a few prayers have been said over it. And then there's the Novena, a prayer to St. Jude asking for his help, followed by 3 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 3 Glory Be and 1 Sacred Heart...said 9 times per day for 9 days. With Teagan I prayed the Novena for more than 27 days (just to be sure.) With the twins I prayed the Novena 1 time (9 days).

For 36 weeks we've been blessed with the miracle of Life, watching the girls grow and develop literally from embryo to birth this Thursday. Do I believe St. Jude played a role in this blessing? Absolutely. So I give thanks to God for our daughters, all 3 of them, and a special thanks to St. Jude for his "whisper".

As part of seeking his assistance I am to make his name and works known, in the hopes others would seek his assistance should they find themselves in a truly hopeless situation.

I pray you should never need his help, but if you ever find yourself in such a situation don't be afraid to ask.

The prayer is known as a novena. It is said 9 times a day for 9 days. There are many versions which can easily be found on the web, I found these at www.stjudenovena.org. Being Catholic, Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria are also part of my novena. This is what I prayed:

“Holy Saint Jude, apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, faithful intercessor of all Who seek your special patronage in time of need. To you I have recourse from the depths of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power to come to my assistance. Help me in my present and urgent petition, (insert what you are praying for). In return I will make your name known and cause you to be invoked. Saint Jude pray for me and all those who invoke your aid, amen."

Repeat the next 3 prayers 3 times. I did OF, HM, G, OF, HM, G, OF, HM, G

“Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kindom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as weforgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, amen.”

“Hail Mary, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary pray for us sinners now and in our hour of death, amen.”

“Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, now, and always will be, world without end, amen.”

And then closed each novena with this:

“May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved, and preserved throughout the world, now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. Saint Jude, worker of miracles, pray for us. Saint Jude, helper of the hopeless, pray for us. Amen.”

Now repeat 8 more times.

Don't forget to give thanks for the many blessings in your life, and there are many if you take time to recognize them.

What a sunset!

2006-12-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

This is only a test of the Newborn Broadcast System.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, THURSDAY!!!

2006-12-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we're, that is to say, Gina, is going the full 36 weeks...to the day! Are we ready? I'd like to think so...probably not.

The house is decorated for their 1st Christmas. The nursery is ready, wet wipes in the warmer, tiny diapers in the basket, sleepsack in the crib. All the bottles have been washed and are ready for sterilization.

Still, the whirlwind of those that are our greatest blessing is still unknown.

This weekend it's just about relaxation, maybe a mani-pedi for Gina, getting the decorations up and tying up a few loose ends before the big day.

Be sure to "tune in" on Thursday night, as I'll be posting the first pics of the girls here as soon as I can take them and get a signal with my cell phone to upload them. That's right, I get the exclusive scoop and you'll get to see them before anyone who hasn't visited before you!

BD -9

2006-11-28T20:39:00.000-08:00

We're getting closer and closer. The girls were squirming more at the NST than I think I'd seen before, but everyone thinks they're going the full 36 weeks. That's good news for the twins but not so good for Gina.

The quest for names is still on. You'd think with a little more than a week to go we'd already have them. We have an idea, but now Gina isn't quite sure if she is happy with their first names. Then we have to work on middle names, of which I expect them to have more than one... I keep saying they're gonna have 7 middle names! We'll see.

So the nursery is finished, with the exception of hanging a couple of pictures and now we need to get the Christmas decorations up. And when I say 'we' I mean 'me'! The house has to be ready for the girls' first Christmas. I'm planning on getting a smaller tree than years past and putting the ornaments that won't fit on garland. Teagan's tree is already upstairs but I have to find the ornaments for it. It should all come together by this weekend...I hope!

The last couple of years, since Teagan was called Home, Christmas hasn't really been Christmas, especially for Gina. This year should be different. This year the magic should be back. Sure we'll be exhausted but as far as I'm concerned, it'll be perfect.

B-Day minus 12.

2006-11-26T00:10:00.000-08:00

I guess this could be considered our 12 days of Christmas. Except this year I'll get the best presents I've ever received. Sure, when I was little I'm sure Santa brought many gifts that were the "best ever" but I'm certain this really will be THE year for the BEST EVER!

Of course, 12 days is the longest we'll have to wait, if they come sooner that'll be good, too. Gina is already having contractions and they're not front or back ones - it's the whole uterus doing its glorious thing, getting ready for the finale of its ultimate purpose.

And so we wait...Gina doesn't sleep well now but I'm like a baby...except for the crying...and the diapers.

And speaking of diapers, we're stocking up on premies. Gina has just ordered a case that, combined with what we already have, will make just about a weeks worth. "How many is that?", you ask. About 200 per week! That's a whole lot of diapers, not to mention the stuff inside them. Our Diaper Champ is definitely going to get a workout.

Baby B cooperated last night and let me feel her move and hiccup. They are so close to the surface now, it's much easier to feel heads and bottoms. I swear they are separated from the outside world by less than 1/2", or so it feels.

Sometimes I think I should be disappointed that I haven't been able to feel them move that much. Truth is, I'm not even phased by it. The way I figure it is that I'll feel them squirm plenty very soon plus all my other senses will be "tickled... soon... very soon.

More Great Pics.

2006-11-18T11:43:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately Aunt Shelly couldn't make it up to take pics of Gina so I had one of my clients take them...don't worry Shelly, you will still be our "official photographer" for the girls.

Can you believe there are 2 in there?

The Nursery is Finished!!!

2006-11-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

Well, functionally, we're ready. The mattress is in and covered with a sheet and the only things missing are the girls!

Sure I have to frame and hang the pictures, maybe put up a shelf or 2, but that's just accessorizing.

Here are some pics.

The roadblock of a crib. Even this one arrived cracked too but useable so I didn't want to wait for the replacement headboard... I'll fix it later!

Gina wanted a chandelier for the girls room...already they're princesses!

Here's a baby's eye view from the crib!

Updated pics of Mommy and the Belly.

2006-11-17T22:59:00.000-08:00

It's just so amazing how big the girls are now. And there are 2 in there! It seems like she could pop any time now. Her belly is so tight you could bouce a quarter off it! But we won't do that, right?

What a busy week it's been so far.

2006-11-15T23:23:00.000-08:00

Monday morning we ended up at OB Triage because Gina was up all night with stomach cramps but didn't know if it was contractions or some sort of stomach thing. She was having a few mild contractions but the nurse just referred to them as "irritability". Our awesome peri, Dr. Katz, was doing rounds at the hospital so he came down and saw her, did another FFN, then sent her home.

Tuesday started with the fetal non-stress test followed by a growth u/s. A very excited Grandma "M" came to get a glimpse of her grand daughters. The girls weren't very cooperative, though. They hardly let us get a good look at them as they're so cramped in there. The u/s tech we had was all about business, not really having a look around, even to try to get any pics for the collection. Oh well. The girls are measuring about a week behind, at 3lbs. 14oz. and 3lbs. 15oz., but are well within the acceptable range for developement. That means 4lbs is well within reach and definitely doable if we have a little cooperation!

We also learned that Monday's FFN came back positive. The test, when negative, is a great predictor that labor won't start for at least 10-14 days, however a positive result is NOT an indication that labor will come within the next 2 weeks, only that it is a possibility.

So that's where we are. Tomorrow marks the end of week 33 and Gina keeps saying that they'll be here by week 34.

The end of week 34 happens to be Thanksgiving.

How appropriate...We certainly do have a lot to give thanks for.

It's close to being finished!!!

2006-11-15T23:14:00.000-08:00

The crib came this morning and, though it has a slightly cracked headboard, I put it together tonight. The replacement headboard will take about 2 weeks to get here but I couldn't wait, we just needed to get the furniture situated. I must say the nursery looks better every day. I'll pick up the matress tomorrow evening and we'll get the crib set up and then post some pictures. We now just have to get these awesome Shag Disneyland prints framed and on the wall and...we're done.

2006-11-09T22:41:00.000-08:00

I got a massage last night and it was awesome. Part of the conversation, polite chit-chat, was about the twins of course. My masseuse said she was going back to school so she could become a nurse midwife. Great idea. But she said something during the conversation that kind of caught me offguard. I may be making something out of nothing but she said she thought it was awesome how her friend's body could make a little woman. The obvious thing would be to point out that her friend gave birth to a girl and that someday she'll be a woman.

But that wasn't the thing that got my attention. It was that her friend's body made her baby. Wow. I wonder how many people have this idea, as if the baby is just another part of mother. No, it's not. From the moment of conception the baby has DNA unique to itself. For quite a few days it develops without even being implanted and when it does implant the placenta is formed and this insulates the baby from the mother and prevents her body from rejecting the baby because it has different DNA. Sure, the things Mom puts in her body nourish and affect the baby but the baby develops according to its own schedule. And half the DNA comes from Dad, but I would never even think of saying that it's awesome how a man's body produces a baby.

I think this concept may be born (pardon the expression) from the idea that it's a woman's body and no one should tell her what to do with it. After seeing our 2 girls develop, and even Teagan at nearly 19 weeks, it's patently clear that this just isn't so. They really are their own bodies and they just happen to be living inside and are supported by Mommy. That's just the way God designed it.

She was right about one thing though...the miracle of life is truly awesome.

Another Look

2006-11-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

Gina had her first Fetal Non-stress Test (NST) last Friday. I couldn't stay for it but wish I had. She said they really got to see them moving well and saw their chubby cheeks. The only concern they had was that their fluid levels were lower than they had hoped to see. So instead of having an NST every week we now have them twice a week. Of course we don't mind seeing the girls every 3 to 4 days. The one on Tuesday was great. They still want to keep an eye on the fluid levels but said the girls looked great.

So tomorrow will be the 3rd and I won't miss seeing the girls. Especially since they wake them up and get the girls to move. They were pissed off on Tuesday when they were putting the monitor probes on Gina's belly but I missed that. I haven't seen them too active and I don't get to feel them moving that much, as everytime I put my hands on the belly...they stop! So to see them move and kick should be awesome.

We're getting close.

2006-10-31T22:51:00.000-08:00

The ceiling and wall are painted and look great, albeit bright, and now only needs to have the trim painted and some touch up some of the "opps" and then we can put in the furniture and viola! Ready for babies.

Last night was a beautiful Southern California night.

2006-10-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

It was a balmy 70 degrees at 7:00pm. The scent in the air and the feel of the night brought me immediately back to Southern California. Back to one of the best times of my life. There were so many nights working on the patio of Hof's Hut, late night meals after 2 Steppin at the Neon Cactus, Grandma Sugarplum's Cafe Royale and a walk through Naples, and so many nights spent at Disneyland. So many friends that I haven't seen in years and some I just talked to the other day. Yeah, it really was a great time. As memorable as those times were, I know the life I have now and what the future holds will outshine those like the sun does the moon.

So would I trade any of this for all of that? Not in this lifetime. I have a wife I adore and 2 baby girls I'm already in love with...not a chance.

Although, I would like to be able to see my SoCal friends more often, and, of course, would love to go to Disneyland on a whim (or daily...whichever comes sooner!)

I am just so excited about the girls and so anxious to take them to Disneyland and ride King Arthur's Carousel and Dumbo and the Disneyland RR and the Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan and see Mickey and Minnie and Goofy and Pluto and Donald and... and... and...and see it through my childrens' eyes.

All in due time. All in due time.

Proudly making their debut...

2006-10-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some long awaited pictures. These are actually the first ones we've been able to get that really shows them well.

These 3-d images are all of Baby B.

Her sister's foot is above her right eye!

This is our favorite picture. Look at that cute little face. Gina says she has my nose!

Baby B's profile...mouth open.

Baby A's profile...not so open.

Another great headshot, she's looking right into the camera...what a star!