Hi!

We haven't posted in a long long
time if you have an idea to post TELL ME!!!!!
Thanks (;

4 month checkup

So, a little about the girls 4 month check up this week. I was there for 1 hour - it felt like forever. I must say, though, that these babies are so good. So it's not because of their behavior that the appointment felt so long.

As soon as I got there I had to use the bathroom. So I asked 1 of the medical assistants (MA) to watch them. When I came out, the stroller was surrounded by admirers and Jessica & Nicole were loving the attention. (all smiles & coos) I went to the waiting area and a few minutes later, one of the MAs came by to ask if she could "borrow" one of the babies. If this had been my first child, I probably would have been pretty appalled, but I felt okay and let her "borrow" Jessica. Then another MA came by to borrow Nicole. They were shown to everyone in the office - "Look at these adorable twins!" - and I felt pretty proud. It was also nice to be able to "relax" while I waited but honestly, I was more tense thinking about someone else holding my babies.

Once we got called in, the check up went great. The doctor examines one baby at a time. Nicole weighs 14 lbs and Jessica weighs 14 lbs 2 oz. The doctor was very complimentary and kept saying what good babies they are, and how amazing their eye contact is, and how well they are using their hands, and how well they are growing. She even said, "Mrs. Lee it seems like any child would thrive in your household." It definitely made me feel good. (Of course I wonder if she says that to everybody!)

Then the bad part... the vaccines. The first vaccine was the 2nd dose of the oral vaccine for rotavirus. They both drank it pretty well, except, at the end, Jessica starting to have a coughing attack. (she has a cold). I think a combo of the syrup and the phlegm in her chest did it. I had 2 MAs in the room when she started to cough and I could see by their faces that they were scared. It did get scary because it seemed for a second that she couldn't breathe. I sat her on my lap and firmly patted her back until she was able to cough it out. Not fun.

Next was the vaccines via shots. Poor babies. Nicole went first and I held Jessica as I waited for the shots to be administered to Nicole (1 in each leg). You know how they say that with identical twins, sometimes if 1 is feeling pain the other can feel it? Well... not in our case! I swear that the second Nicole got the first shot and starting screaming, the biggest smile came over Jessica's face. That smile was soon gone when it was her turn for the shots. Both of them cried, of course, but I was able to quickly comfort them. Until....

... earring time. For those of you who are not from Miami or don't have a Hispanic background, it might seem really cruel to put earrings on babies. I can completely understand. It's very common here, though, and part of the culture for little girls to get their ears pierced young. It's so common, as a matter of fact, that it's done at the pediatrician's office. (I will come back to tell more about this story, but gotta run for now! Stay tuned!)

school

School is going great! I'm in advanced math AND Spanish!!!
My teacher is real nice like my old teacher every thing is great.
Stevie might be in the 2nd level of Spanish ! Well...
BYE BYE!!

New Pictures of the Family

It's been so long since I've uploaded any twin pictures. The truth is we hardly ever even TAKE pictures. (It so true what they say about big families. There are always tons of pictures of the first born and then as you go down the line, less and less. Poor little Jessica!)

As I was posting my "new" pictures I realized that I haven't taken any side by side pictures of the twins! Darn! That will be my next photo assignment. Sorry about that.

All in a Days Work

So I went back to "work" on July 29th. I think we are sort of settling into the new routine, which I must say is a bit hectic.

The routine at night for getting ready for the next day is LONG. By the time I know it it's close to midnight (I think the earliest I got to bed last week was 11pm). Then at 5:15am it's time to get up so I can pump. (somewhere in between there Steve and I are waking up to feed the babies; some nights they do sleep through, though). After I pump first thing, then it's time to feed the babies, change diapers, and dress them. Then get myself dressed & ready. Get the other kids dressed. Get breakfast for the other kids. Pack all the stuff for daycare (the bottles and any other supplies). Wash and pack my pump equipment. Drop off the "big kids". Get to the daycare around 7:30. Go to work. Pump twice at work. Since I "ONLY" work 30 hours, I leave around 2. When I get to the daycare to pick them up it's about the time for the babies to eat so I stay there to give one of them their bottle. When done, go to Sofia's classroom to pick her up. Leave the daycare with Sofia and the twins. Get home and wash bottles. (Refer to picture above.) Put away pumped milk and wash pump. Meantime the babies are fussing and Sofia wants a snack or wants to go to the potty (She wants to be a big girl now and it's the worse possible timing for potty training.) Next thing I know, it's time for the babies to eat again. And time to pump!

The easy part of the day are the hours I spend at work. I can eat my lunch without much interruption. I can go to the bathroom when the urge arises. I can hear myself think. It's actually quite refreshing! LOL

It's getting a little easier every day. Of course, a new challenge is right around the corner... BACK TO SCHOOL. So we'll need to add homework, school projects and school social activities in the mix.

What I've learned most from the experience of having twins is our ability to adapt. Many people ask, "how do you do it?" And the answer is simply: You just do it. (Those Nike people are geniuses.)

Hot NEW topic: Chores? (not really)

Tio Ian asked me to write about some chores I now have to do but the thing most of the
chores here are easy or fun or BOTH!!! here are my sort of chores

1 Holding babies. (one at a time)
2 Feeding babies. (one at a time)
3 Getting bottles.


and that is it.

I don't have a clue

If you love going in the pool everyone in my family does too. But our pool is different than other pools....
Today we went in the pool, me, my mom, Stevie, and Sofia. But it is always fun even when there is all of us (you know what I mean) because of the bees. Yes I am talking about insects. The bugs? Pests if you will? I know it is weird but there are bees near our pool so when a friend comes over 0r we are just swimming it is really fun because the bees come and go so there is so much suspense in the game you are playing because you never know when they're there. Trust me it is fun. Weird.. but pure F U N!!!

It's Not Easy Being a 2 year Old Rock Star

I feel obligated to say that this picture was NOT posed (really). Sofia fell asleep like this while playing her Barbie "Electric Guitar". (lol)

2 Month Check Up

Here are the stats:
Jessica
Weight: 10lbs. 8oz.
Height: 21.75 inches
Head Circumference: 15.25 inches

Nicole
Weight: 10lbs. 6oz.
Height: 21.5 inches
Head Circumference: 15.5 inches

They received the following vaccines:
1. A combination vaccine for DPT, Polio and HepB
2. Prevnar (protects against pneumococcal bacteria)
3. HIB
4. Rotavirus (this one is an oral liquid so not too bad)

I decided to wait until the next appointment (at 4 months old)to pierce their ears. 3 shots was enough torture for one day. :(

A Poem by Gabi (make sure you read the previous posts first!)

Gabi wrote this yesterday...

I went to my Tia's condo.
It was really, really fun!
We played games by the pool,
And played volleyball in the sun.

We just got home a minute ago.
We let my sister watch TV.
But then something happened,
That was not good for my mom or me.

I wish I was at the condo.
Not because it's grand, though it is true.
It is because Tia's condo,
Does NOT have Elmer's Glue!

Before you read this, read the post below

As you heard we just arrived from our little vacation. I am bringing some details and questions about our landing.

Q 1 :Did Sofia really spill our glue on the table after we got home?

Yes, it is true. It all started when we had let Sofia watch
some TV. She looked as if she was glued to it. So me and
Stevie went on the computer. 5 min. later we here "No Sofi."
from a tired voice. We assumed it was mom. We walk over
and there is Sofia; sitting in a pool of glue and markings
of orange marker on her new shirt and pants. :( NO!!! ):

Q 2 : Did anything else happen?

Yes. Me and Stevie went in the pool at home. when we
got out a disgusting baby lizard ran in but then Super angel
(our cat or maybe to you our devil) trapped her and then
he ran outside. Stevie went inside but when wanted to close
the door the little guy squeezed into the door hole. So my
brother went outside (thinking the lizard was dead) and
grabbed him by the tail and then he said "AHH HE IS ALIVE!"
then he through it on to the grass and runs inside saying "HE
TOUCHED ME! HE TOUCHED ME! LOL! :D

Fourth of July

Well, we survived our first family "vacation" as a family of 7. The next few posts will be dedicated to our trip.

So where did we go?? Downtown. 25 minutes away. For 2 nights. But if you would have seen the back of our van once it was packed, you would swear we were driving cross-country for a 2 week expedition.

We stayed at my sister's condo. It was amazing! It's a beautiful 2 bedroom place on the 32nd floor of a new building on Biscayne blvd. with the most amazing view of the Port of Miami, Bayside, the AA arena and the downtown Miami skyline. On the 14th floor there are TWO pools, a beach volleyball court and a putting green. We were able to see the fireworks for Bayfront park, Miami Beach, Fischer Island, Key Biscayne and more. Thanks, TIA!

So let's talk about packing for a family of 7...

I woke up Friday morning and started getting everything ready at 7:00am. We didn't leave the house until about 11:45am and I was non-stop the entire time. After packing for a 1 night stay, it is clear to me why the laundry piles up so quickly at our house!. (oh, yeah. The "trip" was originally going to be for 1 night. But based on the effort to get packed and out of the house, we thought it would be more worthwhile to stay an extra night.)

So here's what I had to get ready / pack for 1 overnight stay:
- outfit to leave
- bathing suit and cover up
- outfit for after pool / 4th of July party
- pajamas
- underwear
- shoes
- outfit for day 2
Take that and multiply it by 7!!! That's 35 outfits. Not to mention that with kids (especially babies) you always need to pack a few extras in case of accidents.

The list above does not include: blankies, burp cloths, diapers, wipes, medicines (just in case), toiletries, towels, travel crib, pump, bottles, formula, water to mix formula, snacks. You get the picture. It's almost enough to make me never want to go anywhere again. LOL But I must say, all in all, the vacation was a success. Everyone enjoyed the change in scenery and the fabulous view.

About 15 minutes after we got home, Sofia took a bottle of Elmer's glue and completely emptied it on our dining room table. Ahhh... reality!

The Results Are In!

Today the letter from Affiliated Genetics arrived! And I quote:

"The twins are concordant for fourteen out of fourteen STR DNA markers. The twins are monozygotic (i.e. "identical twins") with a greater than 99% probability."

Very exciting news!

Warning: Not for the Faint-Hearted (read post before watching video)

So one of the questions we get frequently since the twins were born is: "how is Sofia handling it?" To be honest, when I was pregnant I had great concerns about how she would handle losing her place as the baby of the family. I really thought she would be terribly jealous. In actuality, though, she has proven us all wrong. She LOVES the twins. She still craves attention (like any 2 year old) but she never acts resentful of the twins. She never tells me to put them down. As a matter of fact, she often commands us to pick one up!

I do think our experience as parents has helped create a non-jealous environment. From the beginning, Steve and I were really conscientious of making sure we were paying attention to Sofia and continuing to give her tons of kisses & hugs. It also helps to have Stevie and Gabi paying attention to her. Another key point is that we have made her feel part of the twins as much as possible. When she asks to hold one, we accommodate her. If she wants to put a te-te in one of their mouths (even after wiping her snotty face with her hand), we have let her. As she has poked their heads and eyes and foreheads, we have withheld yelling out, "SOFI - STOP!!!" and instead gently said, "Remember, Sofia, touch softly."

The truth is newborns are "tougher" than they look and they probably will not remember all the pokes, jabs, coughs into their faces, rough handling, etc from their big sister Sofia. I DO think, however, that an older child will remember parents who were always saying, "Don't touch the baby." "You can't do that." "You're not big enough to hold her." So we have really avoided that.

So this video is a demonstration of Sofia's love for the twins. It is an early lessons for Jessica (and Nicole) that sometimes... love hurts.

An Early Father's Day Present

Nicole "Smiling"
Jessica "Smiling"
Late last night, Steve & I were sitting on the couch watching The Notebook (talk about a tear jerker!) Anyway, after the movie finished Steve was holding Jessica and talking to her when all of a sudden... HUGE SMILE right at Papa... TWICE! It was the perfect Father's Day gift.

So Grandma (Marie) was right! It was Jessica who smiled first. We didn't catch it on camera but the pics above show some involuntary smiles from both our cuties.

We're still waiting for the 2nd smile from Jessica and for the 1st from Nicole. Nicole has "found her voice" though and it starting to make cute little noises & coos.

Sofi's Story

This was one of Sofia's funniest works. It is as amusing as my mom's biggest pet peeve.

Sofia had found a red rubber ball. She was putting it too close to the babies' face so my
dad took it away.
Sofia- "GIMME MY BALL!!"

Dad- "Sofi, say it nicely."

Sofia- (in a softer voice) "gimme my ball."

Then dad gave her a look.

Sofia- "Can you gimme my ball?"

Eventually she got her ball. It is not easy to teach a 2 year old manners.

Now..

now the twins can smile! we will tell you who smiles 1st if you read this please comment of who you think will smile 1st we need at least 5 comments to reveal the answer.
love gabi!

umm.. i can not think of a title!

hello! Did u hear my (gabi's) latest achievements? well i got a spanish award 4 my good grades a music award 4 being in choir and the principal's award!
I was surprised. When i got principal's award i saw both of my parents but no twins (it is a mystery! :/

Bye!!
Gabi

is she gone? oh hi, i'm this guy :) my name is smiley i always put stuff when gabi is not around. you will see my face *e. g. :)* when i am posting something.
BYE!!

Love,

:) Smiley

Identical or Fraternal?

This has been the question on everyone's minds since we found out we were having twins. Unfortunately, when I went to the doctor last week, the "analysis" of the placentas that was done at the hospital told us absolutely nothing. It only confirmed that the twins were diamniotic, dichorionic (which means they had their own sacs & own placentas.)

Now... many people believe that if twins are in separate sacs, that automatically means they are fraternal. Not so... google it!

So when we got home from the doctor, Grandma went straight to the PC and ordered a DNA test. (Here's the website: http://www.affiliatedgenetics.com/twinzygosity.cfm)I got it in the mail a few days ago, took the samples (saliva) from the babies yesterday, and Steve put it in the mail today. So in 7-10 business days, we should have a definitive answer to the question.

What's my opinion? Well, I wouldn't be surprised either way. Sometimes, they look really different and it's pretty obvious who's who. But other times, especially when they both have their eyes open, they look A LOT alike.

We'll keep you posted!

Pet Peeve

I know this is going to be funny to me some day, but right now, it's my biggest pet peeve. I'm sure you will find this amusing.

When I'm holding 1 or both babies, this is my Sofia's favorite conversation:

Sofia: (pointing to twin A) "What's his name?" (You know how toddlers always mix up gender)
Me: "This is Nicole."
Sofia: (pointing to twin B) "And what's his name?"
Me: "That's Jessica."
Sofia: (pointing to twin A) "Annnnnddddd.... what's HIS name?"
Me: "Nicole."
Sofia: (pointing to twin B) "Annnnnnddddd.... what's HIS name?"
Me: "Jessica."

This goes on and on and on - ALL DAY - Sometimes I just ignore her and she just keeps asking the same question OVER and OVER again. Sometimes she will answer her own question and I SWEAR she knows she is answering wrong so that I will jump in and correct her. (e.g. Sofia - pointing to twin A "What's his name? Jessica??? Mama, is this Jessica??" Me - "NO! That's NICOLE! ARGHHH!!!")

Something to add

I have something to add to the top 15 things said to parents of twins. (I guess it's the top 16 now)


Said to a parent of newborn twins that just got home a week ago from the hospital " What do they do at home?" (Actually they juggle and they are great swimmers. What do you think they do?)

Polls, polls and STILL more Poles!!!

Today I decided to make 5 polls.(one for each kid in this family)If you read this you MUST POST A COMMENT!

Out of all what is your favorite animal.

1.panda
2.husky
3.horned lizard
4.lion

Your favorite drink...
1.orange juice.
2.lemonade
3.coke (diet or regular)

I can not do any more polls for 2 reasons:

1.I'm tired
2.It's bed time so I'VE GOT TO GO!

BYE!!!

My Favorite Picture

I will come back to post the story of the twins birth but for now a picture is worth a thousand words...

Trying out our new web cam

Stevie got a new digital camera for his birthday. He actually got 2. One of them is able to be a web cam. So here is our first web cast.

The Top 15 Stupid Things People Say to Parents of Twins

A friend of mine sent this to me and I thought it was pretty funny...

15. “I could never do it.” (Oh really. What would you do? Are you suggesting I put them on the curb with signs around their necks that say, “Free to a good home. My mom can’t do it.”?)

14. “Do they have different personalities?” (No. They are the same human being divided into two parts.)

13. Said by a stranger, “They’re identical, right?” Mom answers, “No. They’re fraternal.” Stranger response, “They are NOT!” (OK. You’re right. I have no idea what I’m talking about. These are not my children. I thought it would be fun to borrow them from a mom down at Baby Gap. It’s been more than an hour. I guess I should return them.)

12. “Are they ‘paternal’ twins?” (Yes. They have a father. There was only one virgin birth.)

11. “Just wait till they’re older. It only gets harder.” (Thank you. I woke up this morning hoping I’d receive a word of discouragement while pushing a cart of preschoolers down the cereal aisle.)

10. “When one cries, does he wake the other?” (No. Twins cannot hear each other’s cries because they all communicate with their special telepathic language only.)

9. From a perfect stranger: “Were they in the same sac?” (Hello. Nice to meet you, too. Will you be sharing your gynecological history with me as well?)

8. “Are they developmentally behind?” (Well, let’s see. They’re 3 years old and thus far, all their graduate school applications have been denied. We’ll get back with you on that.)

7. “How do you do it?” (Haven’t you seen the Nike commercials?)

6. "Which one is the 'good' one?" (other variations of similar comments - "This one is prettier." "Which one cries more?" (Do people hear themselves when they speak??)

5. “You must be SO busy.” (Are you volunteering to clean my house?)

4. Said to a mom of fraternal twins who are different sizes, have different eye color and different face structure: “How do you tell them apart?” (I just look at them.)

3. “What do you do when they both cry at the same time?” (Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I go to Starbucks.)

2. Said to a mom of boy/girl twins: “Are they identical?” (Uh. Not exactly.)

1. Only one comment could be voted No. 1. The choice was clear. Drum roll, please. After a stranger had been informed that the toddler boys were twins, she asked a simple question: “Are they brothers?” (Enough said.)

Getting ........ FUN!

By: Gabi :)

So far living with twins is not 2 complicated (4 me) but when you live where we all live u will have to follow some rules:

1) Do EVERYTHING u r supposed 2 do with OUT being told.

2) Don't leave things that mark furniture (Sofie wise).

Mom's most important rules:

3) DON'T TOUCH THE BABIES' HEAD!

4) AND WHATEVER U DO DO NOT BUMP INTO THE BABIES' CRADLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trust me there r consequences..........

The Names Revealed

For me, naming a child is a HUGE responsibility and one that I don't take lightly. Steve will tell you that even after Sofia was born, for MONTHS I considered changing her name. You would think that the last name "Lee" is easy to match with. It's not. We've heard all the countless jokes... "What about Sarah? Bruce? Heaven? Ug? Earl?" (Seriously you could do this all day... and people do... but by the 4th/5th child it's not nearly as amusing.)

So here is what I consider in terms of naming... #1 How the name sounds with the last name. #2 The meaning of the name #3 The initials (do they spell anything?) #4 Nickname-ability (I like nick names. Maybe since my name is Mary and as a kid I never had any nicknames.) #5 Does the name sound good in Spanish and English.

So when we found out we were having twins, I couldn't imagine coming up with 2 MORE names. The funny thing is, I didn't have to. The very day we found out it was 2 girls, Stevie and Gabi unanimously agreed upon the names. They aren't even sure who came up with what, but they decided that day, the twins were Nicole and Jessica.

I never really liked the name Jessica. Then as time went on, it grew on me and I started to dislike the name Nicole. (the names don't really pass my bilingual test.) But every time that I would suggest alternatives, both Gabi and Stevie would say "No. They are Nicole and Jessica". About a month ago, I gave in. These babies growing inside of me already had formed their own personalities and I had unconsciously associated those personalities with the names that the kids had already chosen - Jessica being the feisty & photogenic one (Baby B) and Nicole being the quiet yet strong one (Baby A).

For middle names, for our other kids we chose to honor the grandparents: Gabriela Georgina, Steven Donald, and Sofia Marie. It would have been nice to have another boy... This time, I knew (once we knew it was girls) that I would want to honor my sister, Therese. (Jessica Therese) and for Nicole, I decided to pass down my middle name, Elizabeth.

So, there you have it - Nicole Elizabeth Lee, and Jessica Therese Lee. Nick names will be Nikki (still trying to decide the spelling on this one) and Jessi.

Cool Pic & General Update

Well, I confess. I am not very good at this blogging thing. But I think I have some good excuses... Anyway, I thought I'd post a few updates.

This is an illustration of a twin pregnancy at 36 weeks. I will be 34 weeks tomorrow (which is a milestone for me! Yay!) Our girls are more side by side though instead of front and back. My goals are 1. to make it to at least 36 weeks (April 24th) and 2. for each baby to weigh at least 6 lbs. At our last ultrasound (33 weeks), the estimated weights were 4lb1oz (Baby A) and 4lb4oz (Baby B). And at this time, babies gain about a 1/2 - 1 lb. a week.

We have learned a LOT about Twins, I must say. "Baby A" is actually a medical term that is used to identify the baby that is "presenting" (i.e. the one that's closest to the exit.) In our case Baby A is on my right side and Baby B is on the left. For the next post I will officially announce the REAL names of the girls and tell how they came about.

The 'Darker Side' of Parenthood

I was at a loss for what to write for our first entry in The Lee Family Blog (brainchild of my DH who must think I have spare time to document our adventures!) Then, Valentina posted the following on her & Ian's blog: (http://thinkingofeurope.blogspot.com/2008/03/much-awaited-darker-side-of-traveling.html). So in response to that entry, I have come up with the following:

1. "Public transportation:" sounds very similar to our minivan (the breath & body odors; the coughs & sneezes; the germs...

2. "Intermittent internet connection:" try typing one-handed with a 2 year old on your lap! If I let her roam around the room, inevitably she heads for our internet connection and unplugs it from the wall.

3. "Not always being able to express yourself or get the information you need:" English is often not commonly understood in this household. Particularly when the kids are watching TV (especially if "the oldest" is watching volleyball.)

4. "Carrying luggage:" This describes me! I'm lugging around this giant belly up & down stairs daily (often accompanied by a 30 lb. toddler. Not to mention the occasional laundry basket.)

5. "Flying: it's just a hassle in general...train travel is exponentially better." Just imagine.. some day we might travel with 5 kids. We'll be the most hated people on the plane!

6. "Looking for a place to sleep.. ": Sofia pretty much takes over our bed nightly. We have the occassional visits from Gabi & Stevie. Add to that Steve plus the twins, and even a king size bed is not big enough. I have often thought about sneaking into Stevie's room and sleeping on the top bunk (where no one will find me).

7. "Eating:" My idea of eating healthy is getting a Filet O Fish at McDonald's instead of a Big Mac. We often eat our "familiar cuisine" in the "public transportation."

8. "Wearing the same clothes:" I have almost outgrown all of my maternity clothes and still have 10+ weeks to go. I am down to 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts that are suitable for work and the weekends... (well let's just say I'm no J'Lo when it comes to maternity fashion these days).

9. "The feeling of being a tourist:" Only applies when Steve & I have a night alone and go to a real restaurant. I wonder if we still know which fork to use (since most of the food we eat these days can be eaten without silverware).

10. "Stamina:" Ask me what this means in about 5 years.

11. "Family and friends:" No complaints here.. Except we wish Tio Ian and Tia Valentina were here!