A Day in the Life

So here I am, blogging.
What shall I say.  Well, the last couple months have been a whirlwind of chaos.  From the babies being able to run, Luis going TDY every so often, and ofcourse my dogs eating everything in sight. 
Hailey and Juliet are doing great, adding to their vocab each day!  Being 19 mo old is hard sometimes.  They love to swim and play, and especially swing.  They keep me so busy!
On a break from school, got classes in a couple weeks, I have 4 more classes then I get my 2nd bachelors degree, thats planned for November :)
After that the kids go to school and I go back to work.  Looking for a position in a company that can offer ME perks...thinking of the airlines, gotta love those buddy passes. 
Luis is doing well, loves his job.  He just got back from a military funded trip to Orlando, where he got to surprise his Mom and Grandma, whom we havent seen in a while.  Well, not too long left, we are having the kids 2nd birthday in Orlando, probably at our timeshare. 
Well...thats all for now, I am sure there is a load of laundry waiting to be switched or folded, there is definatly a dish to be washed, and a floor to be swept.  My day never ends.  Till the next time i get a wild hair I will blog again, its kinda fun:)

Another day in Paradise

Hello!  Im going to try and start blogging again. 
Today, was a good day. 
Started off with the twins in the AM, being good...as usual, their new word is Cheese.  Its cute to teach them new words, they catch on so quickly.
They are 18 months now, walking, running, playing together, and hardly talking.  Each of their personalites are so different.  Sometimes they are outgoing, and sometimes they are shy.  They switch ever so frequently.
I bought them a baby pool today, our neighborhood pool doesnt open until memorial day, which blows, because its already 90+ degrees outside!  It hasnt rained in SA in about 70 days now.  We need the rain. 
5 more classes left until I recieve my 2nd Bachelors degree.  Then Im going to have to enter the workforce, leave my babies in the care of some stranger...ooo that scares me! 
We need the money, anyhow, we have some vacations coming up, seems like the BFF is prego!  YAY for a reason to go back to VA!  So in Aug we will make a trip up there, then, in October, Pittsburgh plays Houston in HOUSTON!!  We have to go!!  And ofcourse for the babies 2nd birthday we are heading on to Flordia, maybe we will see Shamu or Mickey!  We will see.

All in all we all have been great, still truckin along.  I will post more frequently on here, see how that goes!

ThanksGiving and My Parents Visit

Whoa!  Its been quite a week!  Between my parents visit, thanksgiving, and life in general its been pretty busy.  Its pretty crazy sitting here watching these kids grow.  Just now, as I am uploading pictures watching the girls sleep I can see how much they have changed in the 8 weeks they have been alive!  I just made their 2 month appointment, they get their shots next week, and Juliet has her ultrasound appointment for her hips (its routine because she was a breech baby). 

My parents got here the Friday before last, plenty of time before Thanksgiving, boy, were they smitten with their granddaughters!  The way they interacted with them was really priceless, especially my Dad, for those of you who know my Dad, hes not much for affection, but you guys should have seen his eyes when he met Juliet and Hailey.  Every morning after their feeding he would "exersice" them, too funny to watch, they would do sit ups, push ups, the bicycle, amongst other exersices, too cute.  Since Luis had to work, my parents and I got to visit the outlets!  I love going out there, especially when the weather is great!  It was in the 70s their whole visit!  We went grocery shopping too, for our BIG meal on Thursday and we got our pictures taken at JC Penneys.  All in all it was a busy week!  Thanksgiving went off with out a hitch, complete with turkey, stuffing, and a BUNCH of desserts!  We were in heaven.  The girls got a taste of gravy, they loved it!  I really can't wait until they can eat solid food!  I really cant wait until they can talk and let me know what they want or need! 

Come black friday Luis went out shopping, he picked up some Christmas presents, we are trying to get stuff done early this year!  That afternoon my parents decided to leave to try to beat the traffic of the holiday, the goodbye was sad but we will be making a trip to VA probably April or May, when the weather is warmer there.  We have looked in to packages (air, hotel, car) and the prices are VERY reasonable.  Now that we are a family of 4 none of our families houses can accomodate us, we need SPACE!!  I cannot wait to introduce Hailey and Juliet to my grandparents, I wish my grandparents were in the condition they were 10 years ago, I guess age does take a huge toll on a human body.  All I can ask for is their minds stay fresh and they can finally meet their great grand daughters! 
Well...thats all for now, I will update after the twins 2 month appointment!  

The Past Couple of Days

Good Evening Followers, all 2 of you!  I know many more people read but do not "follow".  To explain the last couple days with Juliet being in the hospital, to start, everything is fine for now.
Luis was feeding her on Tuesday night (11/17/09) when she choked on her formula and vomited, spewing formula all over Luis, threw her nose and such.  It had appeared as though she couldnt breathe and her lips turned blue, we were able to suck the formula out of her nose and her breathing resumed, yet it was bery labored.  We rushed her to the ER.  The doc's were able to get a chest x-ray which showed that she had asperated formula in to her lungs, they took a blood sample which came back with a low platelet level, they tried to get more blood and start an IV but failed 5 TIMES!  Poor Juliet!  The doctors decided to admit us.  Juliet was admitted, during her first feeding she continued to have trouble digesting her formula.  She vomited 3 times during her 2 nights at the hospital.  Finally the specialist was able to get another blood sample and this time it came back normal.  Her platelet level was normal, red and white blood cells are normal, whew!  She has a little bit of wheezing from the asperation, but the docs said that it would go away by itself.  We get discharged from the hospital on Thursday, and she hasnt vomited since!  We dont know what was wrong with her, the doctors seem to think she has acid reflux and put her on zantac to combat the problem, but they arent sure either! 

So, everything is fine, she is happy, healthy, and as cute as can be.  She weighs 7.3 lbs and is 18 3/4 inches long!  She is growing and eating as normally as possible!


Now, Hailey.  She had her 6 week appointment on Thursday.  She is 7.13 lbs and 19.5 inches!  She is growing SUPER FAST!!  We love them both, they are wonderful little babies!  They follow their schedule everyday, which keeps it easier for me!
Luis goes back to work on Monday, this is when the real test starts!  I think its possible!!  I can do it...then again...I dont have a choice!!  LOL.  Thanks for your prayers and thoughts while we were in the hospital!  More later, its the babies first Thanksgiving, expect more pix!!

November 6, 2009

Hello!

So today we went to the doctor, the wait for an appointment on Lackland AFB is atrocious!  Within the last 3 or 4 days Juliet has been spitting out her formula, grunting more than usual, and losing interest after about 2 oz of formula per feeding.  The doctor diagnosed my little one with acid reflux!  She has a problem that many grown people have, they gave her baby zantac!  At the first feeding after she had her medicine she was a different baby!  No more grunting, no more loss of interest, and she even ate her 2.5oz of formula with little spitting! 
So, the house is clean, the 2nd bedroom is ready to house my parents who will arrive on the 19th or the 20th, new sheets on the bed, dusted the furniture, and cleaned the guest bathroom!  All the laundry is done and put away, and the upstairs is vacuumed.  Exciting news today, Lara booked her plane ticket!  So excited that she will be here in January for a visit!   

More later, stay tuned!

The end of our journey as 2

Once we got back from vacation our lves were bombarded with doctor visits and hospital stays. I was admitted for preterm labor on August 4, 20009.  My contractions were about 5 minutes apart and things inside werent staying where they should be.  I stayed overnight, the doctors were able to stop the contractions and they ordered moderate bedrest for the durration of the pregnancy. Who, really, can tolerate bed rest 100 percent of the time?   

Finally on Oct 6 2009 I went in for a routine appt and the doctors found that I was dilated to 1 cm three hours later they "checked me" and I was a 3 (10 being the ultimate goal). I was admitted, yay another lovely stay in the hospital that had a total of 10 channels, 2 in spanish! The doctors diagnosed me with preeclampsia, which through my blood pressure and sugars through the roof, this meant that I wasnt going to be leaving the hospital without having these twins. Theres nothing that one could to to stop preeclamsia from coming, there was not anything special that I could have done to prevent this, and the only cure is to have the babies.  The doctors decided to put me on magnesium sulfate to stop the contractions for another round of steroids to boost the lung development for the twins. I had black and blues all over my arms due to the number of people who don’t know how to draw blood or administer an IV. On Mag, I was unable to eat, drink, or be mobile and it made my body feel like the worse hangover I had ever had. I was allowed to have a tablespoon of ice chips ONCE per hour. All through Tuesday and Wednesday my cervix hadn’t dilated anymore, so then the doctors decided to start a pitocin drip. So I was put on medication to stop the contractions and a medicine to start contractions. What a day, I felt like even more like poo, so I got an epidural! Finally I had dilated to a 5, didn’t feel a thing throughout the night. Through Wednesday night, still no change to my cervix. On Thursday the pain was increasing, Luis had to go to work to check in, so Lindsey came and sat with me for a couple hours. The anistheologist came back in a couple times to up the medication, to bolster the injections, and to give me a button to push. This is when I experianced the most pain of my life.  My husband had to adhear to his military duties and I was in labor.  Finally Luis came back, the doctor checked me again, I was a 10! OMG. People were scrambling around, getting Luis scrubs, taking out the medication going in to my already sore arms, and preparing to take me to the operating room. I hardly remember the trip to the OR. When we got there I was put in positions that I didn’t know my body could be in! With more pain medication we started to push. I could feel a lot of pressure, but again, no pain. Finally, I think, after 5 or 6 three count pushes Hailey finally found her way in to the world at 520pm on October 8, 2009. Then the nightmare began. I remember feeling panicked, I remember the doctors whispering and conversing with one another, I remember the panic in the doctors eyes, they were very careful about what they said and how loud they said it. Juliet had turned around. Her head, had been down the entire time, but once her sister came out she turned. It took 3 doctors reaching up inside to grab her feet and pull her loose. Finally Dr. Faucett (head of maternal fetal medicine) stepped in to deliver Juliet in the breach position. Juliet made her debut at 529pm. These were the longest 9 minutes of my life. I saw Hailey before she was whisked away to the NICU, but as soon as Juliet was born she was whisked away and I were unable to see her. After the doctors were done stitching (very superficial scratches really), I started to get cold. Very cold. They warmed me with heated blankets and moved me back in to my room. I was yearning to see the little girl that had taken so long to come out. I was unable to see her. I was unable to hold them. Being born at 34 weeks they were preemies. The doctors wanted to put be back on the magneasium, I declined. I went against doctors orders, but I wanted to get up. I wanted to see the twins. I wanted to hold the twins. Being laid up for more than 48 hours was not fun. It literally was one of the worst feelings in my life. After a goodnights nap I woke up later on that evening. Finally after a couple hours I was able to get up and move around. They switched me rooms and soon there after Luis was able to take me to the NICU by wheelchair and there were the twins. Still unnamed from the night before. They were known as Twin A and Twin B, just like they were in my tummy. So cute, so little. No one had oxygen, they looked pretty normal, except for their size. The love that you have for someone you’ve never met before, its crazy. The undoubtable love I saw in Luis’s eyes was incredible. He didn’t know I was looking at him, looking at them, but I was. The look that was in his eyes was the look of a proud new father. I know that he will be the best dad ever. I don’t have any doubts in my mind of his capabilities. He is the best man in the world.



The 10 days in the NICU was rough. Going back and forth 15 hours a day, trying to eat, drink plenty of water, and pumping breast milk took a toll on me. I was tired, cranky, and probably mean.  But we got through it.  October 18, 2009 they were able to come home. 


There, finally.  Our journey was complete as a couple.  Now we start our journey as a family.  This journey shall have many bumps along the way but the love between all four of us shall be the light of our path.  I know it sounds cheesy, but when its me and Luis, we can conquor the world.

The middle of our story

At our early ultrasound (8 weeks) April 21, 2009 we found out that we had twins.  TWINS, really?  Us?  Yes.  It happened.  The clomid did its job plus ONE.  This brings a new light to the abbreviation OMG.  I should have played the lottery that day.  We came out of the appointment looking at each other in awe.  Luis's first words were "thats it! no more!" He was so funny.  He could see the screen, it was out of my eye sight.  Then I saw the screen, 2 little peanuts inside of me, wow.  This is really happening! 
This ultrasound came a week before our 3 year wedding anniversary, what a great present! 
By this time, I hadn't gained any weight, I hadn't had any morning sickness, I was a little more tired than usual, but nothing too unusual. 

June 17, 2009 was my first centering pregnancy appointment.  This is when a group of pregnant people got together with a couple of doctors to talk about their pregnancies and how they were feeling and have a huge question and session to help everyone.  I was the only one expecting twins.  It was an interesting layout for a doctors appointment, all in all very good though. 

June 25, 2009, we are expecting GIRLS! Wow, girls.  Just like Luis dreamed.  He also dreamt that one looked like me (blonde hair and glasses) and one looked like him (dark haired).

July 22, 2009:  Just got back from Virginia, what a road trip that was. My ankles were so swollen from being in the car it was crazy! We got there all in one piece, but our vacation never began. From dividing our time between families, friends, the baby shower, the car repairs, and the actual relaxing we wanted to do we didn’t have any time for ourselves. Sure I see Luis every day, but vacationing with him would have been a great time. We know now, that we won’t be spending another night at my parents’ house, at Ilka’s house, or at Liza’s house. When we go back to Virginia, we will be a family of four; none of these places can accommodate our needs. This is in the best interest for US. The babies shower was really fun. Seeing a lot of our friends and family all in one place was a little crazy, trying to spend time with everyone and thanking everyone for spending their hard earned money on our unborn twins, or even taking time out of their busy Saturday schedule spending a little time with us while we celebrate the coming of our twins. My birthday was great; I still didn’t get a cake. Why is it I never get a cake on my birthday?? I still had fun. Lara took me to get a massage, which was wonderful. Then I met up with Luis at the mall, where we window shopped and Luis bought me a ring symbolizing our twins, of course he purchased 2 pairs of shoes while on vacation, he has become more fashion forward than ever before. Then at night we had dinner at Plaza Azteca, I love that place! Everyone showed up, I loved it...from Lara and Ryan, to Mark and Evisa, my parents, Luis's family, Joe and Ferd, Brandi and Jazi, I felt so special!  And, I LOVE presents!!  Chips and white sauce are STILL my favorite. At the end of our vacation we decided that we needed 3 days to get back to San Antonio, we also decided that we needed some rest and relaxation and decided that Gulf Shores, Alabama would be the perfect place to spend our last mini vacation as non parents. All in all we had a good time away from home. I think we both think that we needed more Gulf Shores, less Virginia, but oh well. Family is family, nothing will ever be uneventful.