What happens in Vegas...

It is finally here. September 13th will be the fifth year anniversary of Brace Chiropractic and Wellness Center. It is an annual treat to be able to treat my staff and their spouses to a nice dinner and a night out on the town in appreciation of their service to me and my family. Well five years deserves something a little more spectacular!

We leave for Las Vegas Thursday, September 10th!!! The girls from the office and I are so excited to get out of town!! The past five years has been great with the last year being the most difficult and filled with changes. From coverage Maternity Doctors while I was out, to building on without me there and adding two little angels to our daily staff and routine at the office. My three staff members, BJ, Jennifer and our newest addition, Cassie (she has actaully been there quite a while), have been so great and a crucial part of keeping the office running and actually open for so long! We look forward to many more anniversaries!

The baby girls are staying behind with their daddy! We are super excited for them to get some daddy alone time and to get to spend time with our new Nanny! We have hired a nanny named Maria. She is from Lake Worth and has been a nanny for about ever. She is 50 years old and hispanic. Which is exactly what I was looking for. She has lots of experience and plans on teaching the girls spanish.

I am very excited about help with the day to day things and not having to take the girls place to place. We have really been scrambling since one of our babysitters has gone back to college. We need some stability!!!

Mobility is Upon Us

An entire new world is about to start in the Garcia house. The girls are about 6.5 months now and are starting to figure a few things out. Olivia mastered sitting up today and Gabby has proven she can do it and is only too lazy to show it off.

Let me back up by telling you about their 6 month check up. My little runt, Gabrielle, is now leading the pack at a heaping 15 lbs 5 oz, while Olivia weighed in at 14 lbs 10.5 oz. They took their beatings (shots) well and we went on about our day.

Olivia has figured out that she can get those chubby little legs up underneath her and give it a rock. She can scoot backwards and it is only a matter of time before she will be in a full crawl. We have found that Gabby cannot be left alone in her bumbo or anything that does not have a seatbelt attachment or she will thrust herself out of it. Yes, I said thrust!!

Eating is so much fun! The doctor said not to puree their food and just give them what we eat, within reason. So tonight, for example, they dined on pinto beans, carrots and an avocado. Gabby despised the beans, so I hid them in her carrots and Olivia cried when we were out of avocado!

We start Little Gym in about two weeks, where we hope to get some much needed interaction and exercise time. We only go on Thursday afternoons and then we will more than likely shop...of course! We have also started the Nanny hunt. I have contacted a nanny-finding service that does all the work for us to help find a good nanny.

Lots of changes in the kids lives. I really find it amazing the strength that your children give you. Things that intimidate and affect our well-being and the decisions that we make all seem to change when our priorities revolve around these little people.

My Mother Always Said...

If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all! Isn't that what we were all told as children? I surely would never criticize someone for something that they choose to do or wear or choose...I already said that huh? I cannot stand it when people make a comment and as soon as it hurts your feelings, out comes the "I am only joking." Well, the intention was already there, as well as the criticism behind the "joke." And it is not a point of me being sensitive, it is a point of people crossing the line and putting it out there when nobody wants to hear it and it is only critical of others. In my old age...29 for the first time....I feel I have become aware of others and the actions that my words have. I wish some were as thoughtful.

Just had to blog that off my chest...

Here are some great bow-head pics for all our fans out there!

Table for Two

The girls have officially started their eating career! The journey has started with spinach and will, hopefully, end with spinach. If they are anything like their mother, they will enjoy spinach for a very long time. I faithfully eat a spinach salad every day!

The girls turn six months old tomorrow, July 27th. I think I will bake some cupcakes and have a little party. Yes, the girls will get some cupcakes and especially icing inadvertently. We are still on the breastfeeding wagon and are currently undecided on its duration. I am thinking about 10 months would be fantastic and am nervous about the five days in Las Vegas rapidly approaching in early September. Pete is convinced he has it covered and I applaud his enthusiasm and confidence. I know he will have two willing participants close by to help at any time and I hope he utilizes them!

Random Photo Time

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!