Two weeks till FOOD!!!

Yes, you heard right! Only two more weeks and then we will be eating food! Cake or death? Eddie Izzard...guess you just have to look it up. Back to the children. We are very excited about the introduction of food and by we, I mean me! I love love love breastfeeding, but anytime there can be an introduction of something new and exciting, I am all for it! We are going to start with the nastiest stuff I can find. I am thinking spinach, carrots and peas. Then move on to the better things in life...fruit! Being the au-natural that I am, along with some coaching from the sidelines (Sally and Angela), I will be making all the kids food and just pretty much giving them whatever I eat. That way we can stay away from the jarred stuff and still get all the goodies. They get whatever I eat at the moment anyway, just via the breast!

The fourth of July was a very calm one. I went to one of my BFF's party on Friday in Thurber, TX while Pete stayed home and held down the fort with the little gals. All was calm and we even met for breakfast on Saturday morning where they were dressed and smelling clean with smiles on their faces! Saturday was a 50th bithday party for a dear friend and we made it till about 8:30pm and then headed for the house...but the cake was awesome!

With Blessings

Our little ladies were Christened on June 28, 2009. We would like to thank Jeff and Angela Brace for sharing their wedding anniversary with us for the Christening....you know how we love to steal others thunder!

The festivities were fantastic and firey. It was scorching outside and I never heard anyone complain. I would like to thank everyone for that!

The girls took an early afternoon nap, not shortly after their morning nap and behaved fantastic!!

We were so fortunate to have family in from Houston, Waco and even Detroit.

There are many pictures, so I tried to narrow them down to the most inclusive.

Dog Gone It

Well in the world of the Garcia Quartet, I seem to have neglected my other duo...the dogs. Our wonderful dogs are neglected, unloved and sometimes even unfed! Yes, unfed! Sometimes not even eating until 9pm. Carmella is adjusting very well and Bones is just happy to be let inside whenever he can. Carmella enjoys sleeping next to the girls. She has learned not to invade their space for fear of Pete yelling at her. I must say we have two of the most wonderful dogs a quartet could ever ask for!

I know my audience is not entirely interested in my dogs, so here are some new pics of my girls!

First night at Darlin's

It has been so long since our last post. I think I am delayed on the posting because of my new addiction to Facebook. I denied the Facebook family for a long time. I thought, I cannot have a blogspot, a myspace and a Facebook! Well, much to my dismay, I can. So I apologize and have come back to the blogspot.

Since the last post...yes, the one about sleeping through the night, Olivia has digressed. She wakes at about 2:30am religiously now and must either be rocked or fed. The pedi said not to feed her...so that is what we are trying to do. I find that if I can wake Pete from his comatose state and he goes in to comfort her we have a much better outcome. Gabrielle, on the other hand, sleeps like there is nothing to it...back...stomach...upside down...not a problem!

Last night was the first time for the girls to stay the night at Darlin and PaPaws. Pete and I went to a surprise party for Cody Lewis (Pete's B.F.F.)at the Flying Saucer and then came to the Brace house and spent the night with the girls. They are so well-behaved over there! They lay on the ground and love their tummy time and take naps and are so wonderful! It must be the Sally's School of Social Reform!!

Southbound 35

The girls will be four months old May 27th! Hard to believe how time has flown and really all we have accomplished in four short months! I have gone back to work, finished my addition at the office and added two massage therapists, Garcia Lawn Service is fully loaded and in over their heads and have managed to get two little girls sleeping through the night! Yes, you read right...SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT. Now, I know the dangers of posting this for the world to see. It may all change from this day forward, but just so we all know it can be done!

We are heading to Austin, TX tomorrow for a wedding. My dorm-mate from Texas Tech, Tiffany is taking the plunge. We are leaving the girls with Olga and Jennifer for the whole night and staying at a resort on Lake Travis! We are super excited about getting away and super anxious trying to make everything just right. Pete is just excited because Wade Phillips will be at the wedding too!!! I, on the other hand, cannot seem to calm my nerves about making sure I did everything so they can have an easy time. I am surely forgetting a crucial detail.

The girls are smiling up a storm and Olivia has even started laughing a little. They roll over quite a bit and Darlin can get them to play with their toys. I have started the search for a part-time nanny. One of my part time employees at the office is not taking summer school, so I have until the end of summer to find a nanny. How do you find a nanny? There are nanny-finding services! Oh yes! So I am sure I will blog later on this!

OH yea! I got the girls ears pierced on Sunday! They behaved fantastic! Olivia was asleep, so we did her first. Obviously woke up beforehand, but she was great! I was really nervous about high maintenance Gabby. She did fantastic and actually went right to sleep afterward! You can see the "diamonds" in the pictures!

Sleep Blogging

Here is a funny pic we ran across on someone else's Facebook!
THIS IS PETE WITH A MULLET!


Well the girls are asleep and I am finding some valuable time to get some things done around the house. I find myself thinking of all the things I need to do away from the house, but in I must stay because my little angels are taking their afternoon nap. We have tried to organize a morning nap and an afternoon nap. This proves very hard to do in the life of a shopaholic! My book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" specifically says that sleeping in the car or in the car seat while the car is in motion is NOT considered a nap. WHAT? I can understand the logic I suppose, the motion keeps us in a lighter state of sleep and we are crankier later...but when are we supposed to shop? Whether it be for groceries, flowers, clothes or toys, we must stay moving!

We made a small road trip to the big small town of Waco, TX last weekend. We attended an outside wedding on Suspension Bridge, where Olivia has a small breakdown. We also, had to leave the reception early because she was still mid-breakdown. We retreated to the hotel room, where she nursed for an hour straight just to get over it. On Sunday we met our very good friends, Cody and Brooke Lewis and their children for breakfast and asked them to be Gabrielle's God Parents. They graciously accepted and we are so excited to have them in the girls lives.

This weekend it is back to the ranch...yes, another roadtrip! My Uncle Benny and Aunt Peggy are in town from Costa Rica, where they live permanently now. Very exciting to see them. Many of you know, Benny is a Chiropractor and yes, I am looking forward to getting adjusted daily while I am there! Actually, the entire Benson clan will be there. My parents and all of my mom's brothers. This will be the first time in quite a while.

Everything is just wild at the office these days! I am such a lucky girl to have so many patients that love me!! They sure missed me while I was gone and shower the girls with compliments and gifts everyday! Business has been wonderful and we have added a Massage Therapist to the office and hope to add another one this Monday. That is all for now....this is the longest blog yet!

3 Months Old!!

It is so hard to believe that we are now 3 months old! I guess now we switch to months instead of how many weeks we are. The girls are almost even out of newborn diapers...well, Olivia is anyway. Gabby is still the little munchkin she has been but she is starting to take more when we nurse and when she is given a bottle. She even took 6 ounces at one sitting while we were at the ranch! Oh yea, the trip to the ranch was fantastic! My mom and dad went with us so Sally and I actually went down there on Thursday and the guys followed on Friday. The girls are fantastic travellers! They slept so much going and coming that we barely knew what to do when it was time to get out!

The girls are changing so much every single day. Sometimes they even like to switch it up on me. They are still matching as much as possible, I did realize I have another entire side of the closet with unmatching clothing! We still like to match just incase we see someone we haven't shown off to before!

The girls are still coming to work with me every day. They get to go to Darlin's house (Sally) on Wednesday's and Grandma's house (Olga) on Friday's. These two Grandmothers have been a huge help to me! They get time to play and expand their surroundings even more. Our next challenge comes in May when Pete and I are going to a friends wedding in Austin for the night. The girls will be staying at home with Olga and Jenny. We are excited...and anxious about this!

Easter Fun

So sorry it has been so long since our last post! We have been so busy getting back to work and getting used to a schedule of some sort. This is the girls Easter pic. We had some pictures taken and yes, there will be more to follow.

The girls are doing great. Olivia is still the big girl that she has been and Gabrielle is trying to keep up. They are now holding their heads up very well and have even gotten to sit in the bumbo from time to time.

We are not really sure what to do on Easter, but I will surely eat all their Easter candy and it will someway find its way into their bellies!

Party All Night

I don't know what it is about birthday's and our ability to get excited and just stay awake all night long. I will be sure to ask the twins when they get old enough to form their lips into words. Yesterday they were officially eight weeks old! They had a great day at work with Mom and then had a relaxing afternoon at the house. I should have known the calmness before the storm! They were up all night! If it wasn't Olivia wanting to nurse out of comfort, not hunger, it was Gabby wanting to sleep in the bed or just being WIDE awake! Gabby already has already got Dad wrapped around her finger. There was a point in the chaos where I was going to let her cry it out...but Dad brought her to me about ten minutes later. And no kidding, as soon as Pete left for work at about 6:30am, they slept the rest of the morning in their own bed! AMAZING!

All that aside, the girls are doing fantastic! Gabby is still bringing up the rear as far as the weight gain is concerned. She is about one pound, if not more, less than Olivia. You can really tell in the pictures!

My Grandparents came into town to see the girls and we all had a great time. They are officially GG and Grampa. We love them so much and are so excited they got to come!

Pete and I are attending a function for the Library in Azle on Friday night and will be gone for quite a while. This will be the first night out on the town and first night away from the girls for an extended amount of time! Exicted and nervous all at the same time! Of course, who knows how long my mammary glands will let me be gone! We will take lots of pics and put them up next week!

Seven Weeks

The girls are just the sweetest things ever...most of the time. We have accepted the challenge of taking them to the office and they have proven to be well-behaved...for two days so far! I have had some help with the bottle feeding and the crying while at work, but for the most part, they have been a pleasure to have. I will put of pics of their new lime green nursery at the office as soon as we are done with the decor.

The girls are ever changing and developing more unique personalities. Gabby is still the fiesty one. A friend says she is the "mexican" one and Olivia is the "white" one. I guess that means Mexicans are fiesty...who knew! They are definitely stronger by the day. Still breastfeeding all through the night. Sometimes just two or three times and sometimes what feels like six.

I always said I would never let my kids sleep in bed with us. WRONG! At 3am when they just want to nuzzle up to my warm body and pass out in a milk-drunken state...who could resist. I keep telling myself...just as long as they aren't starting off in the bed I am sticking to my guns...just keep on saying that.

We are officially out of preemie clothes and I think there are about three diapers left to use. The newborn diapers still are a little big, but there is no way I am buying any more preemie.

We have set our first experimental weekend roadtrip to the ranch in Kerrville for the last weekend in April. Pete is concerned about where everything will fit...I am worried about how long it will take to get there with two kids that eat every two hours and take an hour to feed!

Would-Be Birthday

Yesterday, March 10th, was the girls actual due date. Beacuse they were delivered at 34 weeks to the day, their six week birthday fell on their due date. In celebration, being the housewife that I am, I made cupcakes and had some of the family over.

The girls are doing great. Olivia is a heaping seven pounds now and Gabby is bringing up the rear at 6.5. Their head and body control is amazing. I never would have thought they could hold up their heads and look around at just 6 weeks old! They have both started smiling, although not intentionally. Usually when satisfied after eating or as they drift off to a SHORT night's sleep.

The nights around the Garcia house are interesting. Sometimes they decide to cooperate and stick to a schedule, but during any off-times or growth spurts, they have staggered their feeding schedule or just gone crazy. We are getting through it and Pete proves to be a huge help after I yell for him through the monitor.

Things in our lives are slowly getting back to normal. I have gone back to work on Tuesday's and Thursday's and every two weeks I add a day. Next week is my first Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It is challenging to get up and going in the morning, but we are slowly building a routine. We have built on at the office and the construction should be completed by Friday. We have added a nursery for the girls, new bathroom, manager's office, dark room and two massage therapy rooms. The girls are going to work with me in their new lime green nursery! Very exciting!! Pete's business is about to take off the way it does at March/April every year. We are thankful that the both of us have such a wonderful profession that has been able to put on hold for our little angels arrival.

Fat Tuesday

The girls turned one month old on Fat Tuesday. We thought the printed car seata with pink flair were entirely appropriate! While they did not celebrate with any hurricanes or hand grenades (for those of you who know what those are) they did have a day full of eating...like any good Catholic. I learned what Fat Tuesday is all about from my good friend Susie Bunch...why they call it "Fat" Tuesday and the pancakes and all.

The girls are developing individualities every day that goes by. Gabrielle surely gets more attention mainly because she requires more attention. She wants to be rocked to sleep and loves to nurse in "sessions." She thinks she is done and then wants more and then she is done and then wants more. Sometimes this charade can go on for about an hour. Olivia is very passive and is happy doing just about anything. She loves vibration and will watch the mobile as long as possible. Our friends Josh and Andrea brought over their 3 week old daughter (she is one week younger than the girls). The difference in sizes is amazing...

Jeff, Angela, Whitley and Maggie arrived tonight from Michigan. So we are in for a fun-filled weekend with lots of COUSINS! We have been prepping Whitley for about 9 months to say cousins and then finally Gabrielle and Olivia. We are so happy they are here and we have already planned something for every moment.

Three Weeks Old

I do not plan on blogging during every week of the girls lives, but I thought all would enjoy an update and of course some new pics. The picture above is taken close to feeding time as you can tell they are searching for a nose or something to latch on to!

The girls are doing great! They are growing more and more each day. Gabby is holding her head up really well and Olivia has mastered breastfeeding. It could all change tomorrow...I notice things every day and then suddenly the tables will turn. They weight about 5.5 lbs now and are growing like crazy. They are both very long and about to be out of premie outfits that still swallow them, but are too short! They got another bath yesterday from my good friend Jill, so the pics show a much calmer bath time...

Olivia
Gabby

Two Weeks Old

Time is just flying by and this is just the beginning! We had our two week appointment today and the girls are doing great. Olivia is a haas weighing in at 5lb 4 oz and Gabby is not far behind at 5lb 2.5oz. They have broken into the five's and are not looking back! I had my two week post-op appointment and I think I got the go-ahead on going back to work in about two weeks! That is amazing, but I am feeling amazing and I will only start back on my half-days. Surely I can handle two days for just three hours!


Anyway, back to kid-talk! The girls are feeding a little better and we are feeding on demand now. Which means we just wait for one of them to wake up. I will not be feeding around the clock, but once we get a better estimate of what they can eat without offering them a bottle following the breastfeeding we can set a better schedule. I have to have a schedule! That is the ultimate goal!!

Bathing Suits Optional

Gabby

We have been home since Wednesday afternoon and all has been fantastic! The girls got their first bathing session tonight. I am sorry, as there will be no pics attached from that! I was so freaked out by the loud shriek from Gabby just being naked and out of her room that I was high on the concentration of making her comfortable! By the time I got to Olivia, my blood pressure was sky high and just focused on getting her in and out in one piece.

Olivia


You know it is so amazing to have these little people at home and try to fit to their lives. We set a schedule and try like hell to follow it. I realized yesterday that I have been so rigid on a schedule and making sure everything is just so. I found myself not having enjoyed my children like I should as a result. I rocked Olivia for about an hour and let Gabby have some tummy time on my chest...she loves her tummy time. I realized that we really must take some time to enjoy them each and every day, set some responsibility aside and just enjoy them. Makes me a teary just to think about it...

Our Quartet is Complete

Well we are all home and on day number two. We had a great night "rooming in" at the hospital. They kicked us out and said take your kids with you! We were happy to go and try this thing at home.

All has been good! Feeding still every three hours is tiring. They breastfeed and then I still have to pump until they master the "suckling" reflex. Visits from family and clsoe friends have been good. The doc said no visitors for six weeks. Well, we all know I can't abide by that rule! I am the hand washing and hand sanitizer nazi. Which is weird with my chiro background. The whole germ thing has never been a concern of mine...having a child changes lots of things I suppose.

I will put some new pics up as soon as I get some put on the computer. For now is the awesome bow hanger for the girls room. This was made by a great friend Christen Shanor. She sells them on www.ticklemepinkbowtique.com This pic is a little old and it is now filled completely up!