It's The Most Wonderful Time of The Year!

December 30, 2008 – Our Very First Christmas With The Boys (38 Weeks)

We spent this very special Christmas as a family of four. It was important to us to enjoy the day with just them. Granted, they didn’t know what was going on except that their parents were going extra crazy with the camera. Nonetheless, we wanted to spend it with only them. The practical parents that we are bought them clothes and rattles. Our family and friends (the Santas) spoiled them with toys. Santa was good to Daddy and Mommy, too! However, no gift will ever top the birth of our twins which we received on the eight of April.
On Christmas Eve, Daniel and I took the boys to Downtown Disney to have their pictures taken with Santa at the Disneyland Hotel. It turns out that Santa isn’t there all day, so we walked around, had lunch, and went to Build A Bear until Santa flew in from the North Pole. Like I told Santa, they are twins but also individuals. Therefore, we had to have 3 pictures. It went quite well.
Daniel’s mom spent the weekend with us. She cooked the traditional Puerto Rican Christmas dinner for us (the day after) of arroz con grandules y pernil. YUMMO!!!
Updates: Daniel is sleeping through the night!!!! Anthony is teething. He asked Santa for at least one tooth before the year is over. Hopefully Santa sent it Priority Mail from the North Pole :)

December 23, 2008 - Christmas Break Here I Come! (37 Weeks)

Friday was my last day of work. Like my students, I was quite ready for Christmas break to get here. These kiddos covered my desk with Christmas gifts. In a year that has been so tough on so many families, I was definitely humbled by the thoughtfulness of their parents.
Daniel found out about a blood drive at the Staples Center being held on December 22nd. If you donated a pint of blood, they would thank you with two free tickets to pre-selected Clipper games. Luckily for Daniel, two of the games are against the Nets and the Knicks. Needless to say, we packed up the boys and went downtown to donate. After the donation, we kicked back at a Starbucks for a bit.
Latest developments of the boys:
They both have taken to the jumpers that my friend loaned us. They also have become quite the eaters of Gerbers' squash, apple sauce, carrots, green beans, bananas, etc. alone or mixed in with their cereal. They are fascinated with Lucky. They'll call out to her and giggle when she follows us, but she won't give them the time of day. I sure hope she comes around soon.
Anthony loves to pull my face to him, squeeze my face, and proceed to suck on my cheeks (a trick he is showing his brother).
Daniel has slept through the night 3 nights in a row. Maybe he is done with the once a night feeding. He had buds sprouting up, but now they are actually little teeth that have risen quite a bit.

December 16, 2008 - I'm Coming Out - (36 Weeks)

Daddy Daniel was busy this week making the outside of our home very Christmas-like. I came home from work on Thursday to see our front lawn covered with lighted trees, Dora the Explorer, Tigger, Mickey Mouse, and some reindeer. The outside of the house was also trimmed with lights. We are ready for Santa! Baby Daniel was busy, too! He sprouted another tooth. Daniel and I were talking to the nanny and she referenced his teeth. I said, "Don't you mean TOOTH?" She then proceeded to tell us he had another tooth pop up while we were at work. Anthony has not had the "great white" appear, but he sure has mastered crawling.

December 9, 2008 - Crawling, Rolling, and Sprouting Teeth (8 Months)

This week has been one with many oohs and ahhhs! For starters, Daniel sprouted his first tooth. While I was out with them at Panera, Daniel smiled at me, and I saw something white beaming at me. I opened his mouth and glided my finger across the bottom gum. My finger felt the bumpy ridge of his tooth. Needless to say, I started crying. This completely explains his crankiness, excessive need to be held, and the temperature he was running. It is kind of ironic that he would be the one to sprout a tooth first considering he doesn’t eat as much as Anthony. Speaking of our Anthony, he is doing his version of crawling. He has pretty much figured out how to put his weight on his knees, lift his bottom into the air, and plop his body forward. A little more practice and he will be doing the military crawl soon. The Christmas tree and Lucky have surely served as his motivation. Daniel,on the other hand, doesn't put out that much effort to get to his destination. He decides where he wants to go and just rolls to his destination.
On Saturday night I took the boys to Uptown Whittier for the holiday sonata. I was reeled in by the horse and carriage rides. It was a short excursion but worth it to get some fresh air and a nice walk along the festive Greeleaf. Hopefully next week we’ll take the kids to get their picture taken with Santa at Irvine Park. My boss says they have a brightly lit night train that takes visitors through a decorated Irvine Park. It takes passengers to Santa’s Village where the kids can have their pictures taken with Santa.

1st Thanksgiving and Milestone Party

December 2, 2008 – 1st Thanksgiving and Milestones Birthday Party (34 Weeks)

This Thursday we celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a family of four! We went to Riverside to share the big day with Daniel’s family. The food was great as was the company. My sister-in-law and her mom definitely out did themselves! We let the boys partake in the meal since Anthony was literally salivating at our plates. They enjoyed some yummy mashed potatoes.
On Saturday we made our way back to Riverside for the Milestone Party. Daniel’s mom turned 75, his brother 50, and his niece 21!!!! We dressed the boys up like little mini-men for the big occasion. Since everyone was so great about wanting to hold them, mommy and daddy had several opportunities to get their groove on on the dance floor. It was a late night for us, but they were quite the troopers during the party and clean up.
Happy Birthday Angelina, Johnny, and Gianna!

November 25, 2008 - I'm A Big Boy Now (33 Weeks)

Our sweet Anthony no longer fits in the infant carrier. He has maxed out the weight and height limitations. So, now he has officially moved into the toddler car seat. Needless to say, this makes going out with them alone a little harder since you have to carry Anthony in one arm and Daniel's carrier in the other. Transferring them from the carrier to the double stroller usded to be easy breezy. Sleeping boys were undisturbed in the transfer. Now, if Anthony knocks out, he is woken up when we reach the desired destination.
The picture is of Baby Daniel shopping with mommy at Target. He was a good sport with the antlers...for a little while.

November 18, 2008 - The $700 Cup of Coffee (32 Weeks)

Is there such a thing? I can assure you that it does! My Starbucks runs before going in to work are pretty much non-existent since the arrival of the boys. Standing on line for a grande sugar-free vanilla caramel macchiato extra hot upside down has become a thing of the past unless it is on the weekend. My mornings are now spent getting ready for work, feeding Anthony, checking email while watching Sponge Bob Square Pants with Anthony, and making sure the boys’ bottles and formula containers are ready for the day. What does a practical gal with a busy a.m. schedule do in this situation? She makes her own cup of expresso and takes it to work. I left my travel mug at work and took my java in a regular mug. BIG MISTAKE!!! The coffee spilled onto the gear section in Daniel’s Mercedes. In my RAV4 this is not tragic. In a Mercedes it apparently is a big deal. I luckily got to work. We had it towed to our repair shop and found out that the coffee was the culprit. Some control panel was under there and burned it out. So, yes, there is a $700 cup of coffee. Doesn’t this story make that $3.45 price of a grande coffee not seem so expensive?
On a happier note, our boys are doing great. They continue to be amused by the joy of rolling over and bringing their feet to their faces (and sometimes mouth!). We visited Gymboree this week to check out their prices and to observe part of a class. We are toying with the idea of enrolling the boys in the class they have for 6-10 month olds. What I’m really interested in is the baby sign class “coming soon.”

November 11, 2008 - A Whole Lot of Nothing (31 Weeks)

We enjoyed a nice, long weekend. We didn't do anything exciting. We simply spent it running all over town with the boys crossing lots of things off the to do list.

The boys are just loving the fact that they can roll onto their tummies. They alternate between propping themselves up and extending their arms to their sides looking like airplanes. Frustration does set in for them after a while since they haven't figured out how to crawl, but they sure are fun to watch!

First Bites

November 4, 2008 - The Body is a Wonderland (30 Weeks)

We had the pleasure of having my aunt and uncle visiting from Virginia. They were here to conduct software training, but they tagged on a few extra days to their trip so they could spend time with us. I guess I never realize how much I miss having family around until people visit and have to leave.
Halloween was a bust. The plan was for Daniel to bring them to school so everyone could see them in costume. The boys didn't want to wear their costumes that Daniel tried so hard to get on them. Baby Daniel was a bit more cooperative than Anthony. The plan was abandoned and the family plus my aunt and uncle settled for eating dinner at our favorite Puerto Rican restaurant. We tried again on Sunday to put them into their costumes, and they were good sports for a little while. Maybe next year will be a little more fun for them.
This week the boys rolled! They sure do have the hang of it.They also discovered their fingers. They used to get fixated on their hands. Now they've realized that their fingers move, and they roll them from pinky to thumb. The boys are eating single grain cereal. Anthony isn't a big fan of it, but Daniel has taken to it. We also introduced them to the sippy cup. They are not drinking from it, but they are learning to grip it.

October 28, 2008 – Cutting the Umbilical Cord Ever So Slowly (29 Weeks)

For the first time, Daniel and I officially left the boys for an extended amount of time (3 ½ hours). We were invited to a local Halloween party being hosted by a colleague of mine. My handsome Spartan and I left our treasures in the hands of our fabulous friend and neighbor Martha. We’ll have to do date nights now that we took this first huge step!
We finally bought a camcorder this week. I don’t how we didn’t include that biggie in all the pre-babies purchases we made. We just felt the purchase was necessary, since they are just doing so many cute things. Money can always be made again. These precious times can never be recouped.
The pediatrician was visited this week since Baby Daniel was running a fever of 101.3. Despite measures to bring the fever down, the visit was necessary. I went to work, the nanny stayed with Anthony, and Daniel took Baby Daniel to get him checked out. He was diagnosed with a mild case of herpangina (a virus much like strep throat). It didn’t require meds. We just had to monitor the fever and come back only if there was vomiting or diarrhea. The fever broke after another day of being fussy and needy.
On Sunday, we took the boys to a pumpkin patch. We had them take a pony ride. They only lasted about a lap before they started crying. We took some pictures before heading to the petting zoo section. That wasn't too much of a hit either. Maybe next year they'll be ready.
On Monday we took the boys in for their 6 month wellness visit. They received another round of the vaccinations. The pediatrician said that we are now to introduce them to solids and sippy cups. Stay tuned for pictures of their first mouthfuls next week!
Recent stats: Anthony is 20.6 lbs. and 29 inches. Baby Daniel is 15.5 and 28 inches.
Babies R Us got another deposit from the Blas Family after the pediatrician appointment. Since we got the green light on solids, we had to buy high chairs and sippy cups. While at BRU we decided to get pictures taken.
P.S. Thank you Auntie Leah for saving the day with the Fever All!

October 21, 2008 - Self Snoozin' With Bear Bear (Week 28)

Anthony has learned to fall asleep on his own! As soon as he exhibits signs of sleepiness, we put the pacifier in his mouth and lay him down with "bear bear" in the crook of his arm. He makes this weird string of sounds before he drifts off which is a blend of baby moans and jarbled kitty cat sounds. We have to get this on video!
On Saturday, we bought the boys their Halloween costumes. We decided not to dress them alike. Part of that decision was based on the fact that Anthony does not fit into the 6 month old costumes. Daniel will be a pea in a pod, and Anthony will be a lobster. Daddy Daniel also got a costume, but that is a secret for now. Stayed tuned for their pictures next week!
Besides costume shopping, we also spent some quality time with Susan that was quite overdue. We also went to the chapel to get the application for baby dedications. We will not be baptizing the boys. We will be having them dedicated. This means acknowledging God's sovereignty, not only over Daniel and Anthony, but also Mommy and Daddy. We will present them before a service and ask for grace and wisdom in carrying out our responsibilities as their parents. We will stand there also praying that our boys might one day grow up to make their own decision to love God.

October 14, 2008 - Hauling Huggies (27 Weeks)

The boys turned 6 months this week! Time sure is flying by with these guys. On Thursday, we bought our first box of diapers. Because everyone was so good to us at the showers, it literally took us until now to buy a box.
The boys are quite amused by the sound of the popping cork noise we make. It tickles their funny bone and sets them off into a giggle fest. They are also gaining more control of their hands. They can both pull the pacifier out of their mouth, put it back in, throw it, and guide the bottle into the mouth.
What a difference a couple of weeks make! On week 24 they weren't ready for the exersaucer as you might remember. We went to Sam's Club on Saturday and on display they had the Graco Baby Einstein exersaucer . We put them in it, and they were quite happy...no tears :)

October 6, 2008 - Prince Charming (26 Weeks)

This Friday was another fabulous one. My prince charming (a.k.a. Daniel) sent me flowers. No, there was no special occasion, which is what made them smell even sweeter. I know very well that I have a very special guy. He is not perfect but sure is a great husband and daddy. He brought the boys to school again. They hung out while mommy finished up lesson planning and making copies. Afterward, we headed out to our favorite watering hole to meet up with some of the East Whittier staff. We had a good turn out of Eagle staff, since it was our first payday of the year!

September 30, 2008 - Helping Mommy! (25 Weeks)

Friday was a good day. It was Daddy Day Care Friday, and Daniel brought the boys to school to meet me for lunch. I got to eat lunch with all three of my guys at Pollo Loco. Being that I've been a bit behind in my grading, Daniel came to my classroom after school to help me get caught up. Granted, pampers had to be changed and we had to feed hungry babies, but it is amazing what a couple of hours can do for a gal. Although we left late, I was able to accomplish much and now had the weekend for my family and time to do things like this!

P.S. Anthony gave everyone A's!

September 23, 2008 - Geoffrey the Giraffe (24 Weeks)

Our weekends consist of checking off as many things on our checklist as possible. On this week's list was a trip to Babies R Us. I was so happy that we went. Geoffrey, the giraffe, was there for photos. My loving husband, who is not a big fan of partaking is his wife's silliness, was a great sport in taking the picture! We didn't wind up buying the exersaucer we set out on buying. Anthony's second expression should explain why.

Anthony is making this new face. He puffs out his cheeks and pushes his lips out like a trumpet player. Daniel continues to be fascinated by his hands and loves the sound of his laugh. Hence, he often laughs a purposeful laugh. They are just such happy boys!

September 16, 2008 - Discovery Zone (23 Weeks)

The boys have been doing the funniest things lately. They are definitely obsessed with their hands. Now Daniel does the whole intense staring at the fist and index finger. They both have discovered that their hands can clasp together. Daniel especially is amused by this and will bring his hands together and stare intensely. Then he will quickly bring them toward his mouth and shove them in. This is followed by laughing. Speaking of laughing, they seem to find sneezing quite amusing. They sneeze, and you can count on a giggle to follow. Anthony has taken to putting several fingers into his mouth at one time. Since Daniel has now found his voice, you can hear the boys' symphony of sounds filing the house. The last thing that has developed this week is Anthony's discovery of his tongue. He now likes to stick it out and looks like a turtle when he does.
This week was pretty quiet. Sunday was Daniel's birthday, and he wanted it to be low key. We had a little BBQ with our two neighbors and our friend Chris. Since he was working Sunday, we celebrated Saturday night. On the actual 46th birthday, we had breakfast as a family at Carrows before he left to show property.

September 9, 2008 - It's All in the Hands - 22 Weeks

It's official...I am back at work! It is definitely taking some time for me to get adjusted to being away from the boys. It takes all I have in me not to call home and check in on them. I do my best to get my work done during my prep period and my lunch time, so that I can get home to them. Being that they get sleepy at around 7:30 p.m., I only have about 3 1/2 hours with them. I definitely use that time to hold them, kiss them, and tell them how much I love and missed them during the day.
On a brighter note, they sure have become fascinated with their hands. This has been going on a few weeks already. Anthony especially loves to stare at his fist intently. He likes to raise his index finger in a way that looks like he is scolding you. It is a sight to see! They have also discovered their voices. They love to giggle out loud and babble. The boys are also drooling A LOT! I think it may be a sign that teeth may be coming soon.

September 2, 2008 - The Nanny (21 Weeks)

We are very fortunate to have acquired our nanny Josefina. She was the nanny for my friend’s twins. Janette will now be staying home with her children so she arranged for us to talk with Josefina. We liked her very much and have hired her to stay with our boys three days a week (Tuesday-Thursday). Daniel will stay home with them on Monday and Friday, and I will be with them on the weekend. This schedule allows minimum day care and maximum bonding while generating income. Hopefully we can stick to this schedule.
This week was hard for me. I had to return to work on Tuesday and Wednesday for teacher training days which meant leaving the boys for the first time. I kissed them both with tears streaming down my face. I then kissed Daniel and left before completing falling apart. I called my mom once in the car and cried to her. She calmed me down and I made my way to the meeting after getting myself composed. My mantra was, “Try not to talk about them and you’ll get through today.” One of my friends who already walked these steps years ago knew how hard this first day back would be for me. What he said to me I will forever remember. He said, “It doesn’t get any easier. It gets better.” It got me through the day. Thank you, Kenny!!! When I got home, I saw they were fine and not traumatized as I thought they would be. I guess the only traumatized person was me.
I worked in my classroom on Thursday, and Daniel helped me with my classroom on Friday. We didn’t get too much accomplished since the boys were with us, but that’s life.
A big thanks to Pat Eyestone from the district office. She gave us two high chairs, two car seats, and some toys compliments of her son who also has twins (girls). What a blessing!

August 26, 2008 - A Vacation From Our Vacation Needed (20 Weeks)

We had a few hiccups along the way (lost luggage, my lost credit card, Daniel’s wallet lost, his back going out, and Tropical Storm Fay) but we enjoyed our adventure . All good things must come to an end and this family was ready to wake up in our own bed and return to our regular life. Adios East Coast…until next time!

The weather permitted us to leave on Wednesday. Reliable Leah picked us up on time and got us home after a pitstop. I knew we'd be exhausted when we returned. Therefore, we made sure we left the house clean before leaving and planned to return with our clothes washed, so all we'd have to do was unpack and relax. That went as planned. I spent the remainder of the week trying to get the boys back to their routine. Daniel spent it playing catch up with work. The only real thing on my agenda was to get to the teacher supply store and take the boys for their vaccinations. They did much better this second round of shots. I still had the tears well up in my eyes as they cried out when each needle pierced their skin (3 shots and 1 oral vaccination).

A major event did occur this week...the introduction of day care! Josefina, our nanny, began spending time with the boys in preparation for my return to work next week. She was here for three days shadowing me, working with them, and being left with them for a few hours at time. They did very well with her. She is a very loving lady.
Updated Stats: Daniel is now weighing 14 lbs. 11 oz. and Anthony is weighing 17lbs. 8 oz.!!!!

August 19, 2008 - On The Road Again (19 Weeks)

It turns out my uncle's cousin has a boat. He invited us for a ride, and it was a perfect day. We got to see Washington's sites from the water. We also drove right up to a restaurant and enjoyed some great food. I have to admit I am now addicted to hush puppies. Yummo!!!! Unfortunately, Daniel's back went out from all constant loading and unloading the boys from the car and putting the heavy double stroller in and out of the car. It slowed us down, but didn't stop us from continuing on this whirlwind trip. We spent an extra day in Virginia and just vegged out.

The following day was spent on the road with the destination of Atlanta, GA. It turned out to be a long ride since the GPS apparently gave us the scenic route. ARRGGHHH! It actually was okay since my sister was teaching all day anyway and had a volleyball game after school. Despite the detour, we arrived at my sister's house before she got home from her game. She had no idea we were coming (her kids were in on the secret) and was thrilled to see us all. I can't believe how much my nieces and nephews have grown. We spent the night and had to hit the road again the following day. We could not leave GA without visiting her classroom. The four of us showed up at her school unannounced with Starbucks and made her very happy. After goodbyes and tears, we were off to Orlando, FL.

We arrived safely by dinner time and met my mom, stepdad, and nephews for dinner after checking into our time share. The following day we went to my dad and stepmom's house. The grandparents finally got to meet their grandsons!!! Tropical Storm Fay blew into town. We checked out of our time share and bunkered down at my dad's since the reports said to stay off the roads. Although we enjoyed our time with my dad and stepmom, the storm did not allow us to spend much quality time with my mom and stepdad which makes me sad. We were supposed to leave on Tuesday, but the storm closed down Orlando International. We would now have to leave Wednesday.

August 12, 2008 - East Meets West (18 Weeks)

Where do I begin? I guess with words of thanks to Leah, Rick, and my neighor Martha. We were running late on our departure date. Everyone jumped right in and helped load Leah's minivan, help install car seat bases, hold kids so mommy could shower and daddy could pack last minute things etc. Thanks to them, we made our flight. I must say the insanity continued once we got to the airport. The suitcase containing Daniel's and my clothing was over the weight limit and we were charged $100. Going through security required us to take each of the sleeping babies out of their car seat and carry them through the metal detector. The diaper bags, the double stroller, the car seats, and personal belongings then went through. It looked like an assembly line! The double stroller wouldn't fit and TSA insisted on trying to get it through. After 3 attempts they walked it through. This made us really late for our red eye flight. To make matters worse, our gate was the very last one in the terminal. Yeah, picture Daniel and me running to the gate with our double stroller. We made it to the gate and were met by a baggage agent at the plane door. He took the stroller and car seats. We board the plane and are reminded that we couldn't sit next to each other. We had to have a seat between us due to FAA regulations (something about infants and the oxygen masks). After all that, things went smoothly. We prepared the boys' bottles and started to feed them before take off. The sucking action avoided any ear pressure issues and they slept like champs after their bottles. They slept all the way to Newark!

We paid $100 for United to lose our bag! Yup! They lost our suitcase. It turned up but having to shop for clothes after landing was not fun. Did I mention it was our 2nd wedding anniversary? We made lemonade out of lemons and decided to enjoy the day. After all, it was our wedding anniversary and we had tickets for the Mets game. We had a great time at the game with the boys, my brother and his wife.

During our time in New York we took in many of the sites. We went to Yankee Stadium. We also went into Manhattan and took the boys to 42nd street, Rockefeller Center, FAO Shwarz, China Town, and walked the Brooklyn Bridge. I know they won't remember, but they'll have pictures showing we took them.

On Saturday, we met up with my sister and my aunt for breakfast at a very nice restaurant that had a beautiful view of the NY skyline. Our time together was not long enough!

Sunday we picked up our mini van and drove down to Virginia. This first leg of the road trip took us over 8 hours. The boys were great! On Monday, my aunt and uncle took us into D.C. to visit Arlington National Cememtery and some of the other sites. We actually got to take a picture in front of the White House.

August 5, 2008 - Packing, Packing, Packing (17 Weeks)

Not much to report for this week except that packing for this trip was insane. I never really realized all the things we use on a daily basis with the boys (lotions, powder, clothes, burp cloths, wash cloths, bottles, bottle brush, bottle inserts, lullaby cd, room monitor, diapers, wipes, etc.) We tried thinking things through so the trip would be as comfortable for them as possible. It sure was hard keeping their suitcase under 50 lbs. For those of you who haven't traveled in a while, know that the airlines are now nickel and diming passengers for everything. We limited our luggage to two suitcases, two car seats, two car seat bases, a double stroller, and 2 diaper bags.
Anthony has a fascination with his left fist. He clenches it and just stares intently at it. He also will extend his index finger and stare at it just as much. It almost looks as if he is scolding someone. Daniel and Anthony are both very happy babies! I just love the way they laugh out loud, giggle, and squeal when we tickle them.

July 29, 2008 - Shake, Rattle, and Roll (16 Weeks)

California is a beautiful place as we all know, especially those of who have transplated from states that truly have a winter. What is not so beautiful are the earthquakes. Tuesday morning at 11:42 a.m. we had a 5.0. As long as I've been here, they still spook me a little. Thank goodness I was not home alone with the boys when it struck. We were all in the family room, and like most people, you never think it is an earthquake. I thought it was a loud truck rumbling by. When I realized it was an earthquake (it clicked when the ceiling made noise and the air conditioning vents started rattling), I covered Baby Daniel and Anthony with my body on the floor and Daniel jumped from his desk and covered us all. Baby Daniel was not as affected since he had been asleep in my arms when it happened. Anthony was awake and got startled by the quake and our quick movements. We are all okay and nothing was broken. It was definitely a reminder that beauty comes with a price.

On a happier note, my brother Brandon and his wife received news on Thursday that their December baby is a boy!!!! We are so happy for them. His name will be Gabriel. I sure do wish they lived closer. With the boys being so close in age, they could grow up together.

Did you know that Babies R Us sells these bottles that helps a gal out who has multiples? They sure do come in handy when Daniel is not home and they need to eat at the same time. I sure do wish I'd come up with that invention!

July 22, 2008 - 15 Weeks Old - Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

As many of you know, we are going back East next week to vacation and visit family. Therefore, this week we have been quite busy in preparation for the trip (obtaining mini-van quotes, securing a mini-van, time share accomodations, buying Mets game tickets, White House tours information, etc.). As much as I've traveled, you'd think planning would be a snap. However, it is a whole other ball game when traveling with twins and with the extensive itinerary we have planned. On our 14 day trip we plan to be in NY, New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia, and the final destination of Florida. The first leg of our trip will be spent in New Jersey with my brother and his wife. During our time there, we plan on taking the boys into the city to do some touristy stuff, see a Mets game on our anniversary, visit some of Daniel's family, my aunt and sister, and EAT some great NY foods. We will then be picking up our mini-van and heading south to Virginia where my aunt and uncle live. Being that they are close to D.C., we plan on taking the White House tour and visiting some of the monuments. I think that will be cool especially since it is an election year. Go Obama!!! Before we leave Virginia, we will be visiting with Daniel's brother. We then head down to Atlanta to visit my sister and my nieces and nephews. The last leg of our trip will bring us to our time share swap in Florida. My parents will finally get to meet the boys!

We've tried to plan and anticipate as much as possible, but we are realistic. We are traveling with infants, so we may not get to do all the things we've planned or see all those we wanted to see, but we sure will try our best. I guess we better make sure to pack patience and flexibility ;)

July 15, 2008 - 14 Weeks Old

Well, it is official. Anthony is sleeping through the night!!! He will sleep at least 8 hours. Baby Daniel is still waking up, but it is only once usually around 3:30 a.m. In the arena of weight, Anthony is now weighing 15 lbs. and Baby Daniel is 13 1/2!
Parnell Park has free outdoor concerts on Thursdays. We took a stroll to the park, laid out a blanket, enjoyed the company of some friends, ate Lascari's food, and sang along to music of Rod Stewart. Well, I sang. Daniel wouldn't sing in public if you paid him ;)
On Saturday night, we walked up to the Whittwood Mall to shop. We are quite the site with our double stroller! People never fail to stop us to talk and peek at the boys. When we got home, Daniel put the boys on my chest to rock to sleep, and I witnessed what could be their twin speak for the first time. Anthony kept reaching out and touching Baby Daniel. He'd coo, babble, and make sounds. Then Baby Daniel would "answer" him and vice versa. I was speechless and couldn't even call out to Daniel in the fear that they would stop "talking." I have read about that, but had yet to see it. Is it idioglossia or is it the foundation of language? I don't know, but it was amazing to watch.

*** Thank you, Mrs. Wong, for the aquarium gym. The boys are loving it !

Random question of the day: Is it me or is it just plain crazy that Halloween costumes are out in July?