Twins' Playroom!

Well, this will be the last post of the year! I figured since the girls are napping I could write a quick blog about the girls' playroom.  It is not finished yet, but its almost there.  I have to give Pinterest a lot of credit for some of the ideas =)



This is the view of the playroom from the stairs.  It's actually the upstairs loft.  It's the perfect area because it's right next to the girls bedroom and bathroom. I apologize that the picture came out so dark.  I had to use my phone for the pictures since my camera is completely dead.

We decided that a love seat would be the perfect size for the playroom. I got the idea of the hanging pictures from Pinterest and also made the pictures using canvases, modge podge, ribbon and wrapping paper =)   I already had the curtain rod and most of the other material so it was very inexpensive!

 

 

Even before I had kids, I knew that I wanted to have a library for them (it's the teacher in me!).  This genius idea I also got from Pinterest.  As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to do it.  My main priority was to have a library with the books facing forward!!! I got the letters at Michael's and decorated them myself with ribbon and flowers.  I also wanted to display my girls' arts and crafts so I used the butterflies and ribbon to do so...this idea saved me $15 from Target lol.  I love the picture of the girls with their book.  Can you tell that I'm already installing the love for literacy??? =)

 I used the foam letters to spell out TWINS ♥

 

 

I LOVE Dr. Seuss!!!! This quote is definitely appropriate for the library! I didn't want to spend money on Etsy for this quote, so I did it myslef on Word and added the ribbon.  I already had the frame so all I had to do was spray pain it.

 

 

 

 

The "shelves" are actually spice racks from Ikea. They were only $4 each and all I had to do was spray paint them white. I change the books out every couple of weeks and also use books depending on the holiday =) 

 

The outside view from the window...so peaceful!

I eventually want to change the TV stand for a white one to match the rest of the furniture but this works for now. 

I love this quote........and it's so true hehe ;)

 

 

 

This is one of my favorite things in the playroom.  I absolutely adore this quote.  I had it made on Etsy! 

 



 

I love the storage space.  For weeks we looked at different places to buy the storage cubbies and could not bring myself to spend $50 on it with only 9 holes.  When my community had their annual garage sell, I went on a quest to find some........and I did!!!! Not only did I save money on these, but I love the unique shape. Wayyyy cuter than just the simple, boring square ones =)  total price of $25! However, I did spend a lot of money on the storage bins =( paid $7 for each to later find out that the dollar store has them for a dollar!!!  Oh well, these will last for a while and are of great quality.
The mirror came with the dresser in the twins bedroom.  I'm glad I can finally use it.  It gives the room a very princess-like look.  They built the loft with a closet just in case the owners would want to turn it into a 5th bedroom.  I love the storage space!!!

Well that's it for now.  I'm not going to add anything new for a while except for another Dr. Seuss quote.  The girls are enjoying this room already and love to play and "read" their books. 


It's a twin thing

Ok so I know I have been slacking on blogging...........and I would love to write more about my daily life as a mother of twins.  So here are just a few things that I deal with on a regular basis.  Some of these are funny, some not so much!

-My girls fight over all the toys now.  Seriously, what happened to my sweet little girls who shared so nicely?  Not anymore!!! Ugh, I swear I'm playing referee at least 20 times a day.  Although, I must admit is pretty funny to watch.  They now know to take off when they see the other one coming their way.  I can do without the crying though.

-Not only do they fight over toys, but now they're physically fighting too.  They still don't grasp the idea of being "gentle." I need to take a video of the many times they wrestle each other.  Juliana has become quite the bully, which used to be the other way around.  She now pushes her sister, steps on her and yanks on her clothes. 

 

 Ha, in this picture Isa is the bully

 

 

- One of the best parts of my day is cuddle time.  Now that my girls are always on the move, it's nice to get some one-on-one time when they're calm and cuddly.  Carrying them reminds me of how fast they're growing....ok Sandra don't get emotional...opps too late =(

-So my life has become a constant battle every time I have to change a diaper.  If you have never seen a ten month old throw a tantrum you're more than welcome to come to our house, especially after bath time.  We have tried everything possible to reason with them, but apparently, it's the worst possible thing we can do to them.  Come on, I know they don't want to stay in their filthy diaper all day...or do they?  Umm, maybe they can win this battle?  Ok, no, it's not possible, but it feels nice to contemplate the idea for a second hehe.  We've tried singing, giving them toys, letting them play with a clean diaper....we're running out of options.  Payback is going to be a bitch when we start potty training muahaha (scary laugh)!!!!  I need to record this too!!!

-The twins, or should I say A twin, managed to get a hold of the dining table linen and pulled it until our glass centerpiece fell off the table and shattered everywhere!!!  It was such a scary sound to hear, both Brad and I ran so fast to our formal dining room to find two scared faces looking our way.  Thankfully no one got hurt.  The mystery will remain....which one did it????

-One of our favorite things we do at night is racing the girls up the stairs. When the girls are ready for their bath, we each grab one and let them go up the stairs.  Brad likes to cheat though!

-One of the things that have kept me sane is going to lots and lots of play dates. The girls enjoy interacting with other kids and well, I enjoy interacting with other adults lol.

-Something that makes me giggle is seeing other people amazed at what I do.  The other day I went to my friend's house for a play date.  At this point, I'm a pro at handling both girls at once...it saves time.  So, I got out of the car with my diaper bag and got one girl out.  Then, as I was holding Isa, I got Juju out of the car. Her front neighbor, who at the time was mowing the lawn, stopped what he was doing and yelled, "wow look at you doing that."  I turned back and said, just another day....I'm used to it  =)

-Taking pictures of the girls was such a bliss when they were younger.  Now, it's so hard to get both of them to cooperate at once.  In addition to that, Isa is now refusing to wear her beautiful bows. UGH!!!!  Ok, fine, don't wear your stupid bow...........but please stop trying to get your sisters off too!!!

- There can only be ONE!!!! Twin problems!!!

- So the girls have mastered the art of climbing on the couch.  It doesn't help that the dogs help aid in this horrible obsession that the girls are on.  Although, I do love that they know how to get down, which means I don't have to worry as much.  Anyways, one day one of the girls was on the couch with me.  She kept jumping up and down and I kept telling her to stop.  I would say, "Juju, stop doing that.  No, you're going to fall.  Juju sit down."  I kept calling her name telling her stop.  Then, out of nowhere comes Brad with the other baby and puts her on my lap.  He then says, "here you go, since you keep calling her name." The whole time I thought Juju was on the couch with me but it was really Isa haha. That's what I get for not paying attention and playing on my phone.

-They now climb on anything that has an elevated surface -_-  If Isa would put as much dedication to walking as she does with climbing, we would have a runner by now!

- Hey, my sister is crying....I guess I'm going to start crying too for no apparent reason!

-Isa makes the funniest sounds ever!  She just started this weird, manly laugh too.  It's a bit creepy lol. 

- For a while, the twins' favorite thing to do was to open the cabinets and get everything out. It was so annoying!!!!!!!!!!   Thank god for whoever invented latches.  It was so funny watching the first time they realized they couldn't open the cabinets anymore.  Poor girls were so frustrated!

 

 



 

 

 

-Nothing is more fun than getting puked all over your clothes and hair. My poor Juju bean was sick =(

 

 

 

- We love when dada comes home from work.  The girls love to play with him and I enjoy taking a break from the girls =)  It's a win, win!

 

-I love that the girls can hold their own bottle/sippy cup now.  It leaves me time to do other things. Other things such as cleaning, dishes or cooking...yay free time!

 

 

 

 

Ok I have so many more things I could write about, but it's pretty late.  I need my sleep since the girls love to wake up at 7am since the time changed.  I wanted to post some videos but my phone is not cooperating.  Hope you enjoy.  Good night.

 



Sorry!

Hello my fellow followers,

I know it has been a while since my last blog. I know I always give the "excuse" of being too busy, but I swear it's true. I have been dedicating my spare time, which is not a lot, to other things lately. I've been working out a lot lately trying to lose the last few pounds of baby babies weight and gaining back my muscle and endurance. This has not been an easy task after been placed on bed rest at 26 weeks of pregnancy. So I literary had to start back from zero. All those years of working out down the drain =( I have also been busy with some projects for the twins' playroom, which I hope it will be done soon!!! Look out for that blog! The other thing that's keeping me busy is selling some of my girls' clothes. It takes time to take pictures, upload them to FB, and then go back-and-forth with the people that are interested in buying them. I have to weigh the clothes and calculate shipping. I'm so glad to finally get rid of some of the clutter and make some money, but I get sad knowing that my girls are no longer teeny tiny. I seriously look at some of their old clothes and wonder how they ever fit in them. Oh yeah, I have also been working on my pregnancy scrapbook. I can't believe it's not done yet....that's what I get for being a procrastinator. To add to all those things I just mentioned, this month has been super busy with play dates, pumpkin patches, vaca to Miami to see the Harper's, substituting, MoMs' nights, and squeezing in some quality time with my hubby. I promise to blog very soon. I'm dying to tell you all about the twins' baptism. It was such an unforgettable experience.

I hope everyone has a goodnight!

19 Things...

So I saw a blog on Pinterest and I absolutely loved the idea of doing this.  Here are 19 things we should always say to our children. 

 

1. I love you! There is nothing that will make me stop loving you. Nothing you could do or say or think will ever change that.

 

2. You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you can do, but who you are. There is no one like you. No one.

 

3. It’s all right to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons: when they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid, or lonely. Big people cry too. I do.

 

4. You’ve made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do. Is it something we can fix? What can we do? It’s all over. You can start fresh. I know you are sorry. I forgive you.

5. You did the right thing. That was scary or hard. Even though it wasn’t easy, you did it. I am proud of you; you should be too.

 

6. I’m sorry. Forgive me. I made a mistake.

7. You can change your mind. It’s good to decide, but it is also fine to change.

8. What a great idea! You were really thinking! How did you come up with that? Tell me more. Your mind is clever!

 

 

9. That was kind. You did something helpful and thoughtful for that person. That must make you feel good inside. Thank you!

 

10. I have a surprise for you. It’s not your birthday. It’s for no reason at all. Just a surprise, a little one, but a surprise.

11. I can wait. We have time. You don’t have to hurry this time.
 

 

12. What would you like to do? It’s your turn to pick. You have great ideas. It’s important to follow your special interests.

13. Tell me about it. I’d like to hear more. And then what happened? I’ll listen.

14. I’m right here. I won’t leave without saying good-bye. I am watching you. I am listening to you.

 

 

15. Please and Thank You. These are important words. If I forget to use them, will you remind me?

16. I missed you. I think about you when we are not together!

 

17. Just try. A little bit. One taste, one step. You might like it. Let’s see. I’ll help you if you need it. I think you can do it.

18. I’ll help you. I heard you call me, here I am. How can I help you? If we both work together, we can get this done. I know you can do it by yourself, but I’m glad to help since you asked.

19. What do you wish for? Even if it’s not yet time for birthday candles and we don’t have a wishbone, it’s still fun to hear about what you wish for, hope for, and dream about.

Been There, Done That!

One of the things that I love about being a SAHM is the fact that I have so much time with the twins.  Being a member of 3 different mom groups has definitely made it easier, more fun and helpful.  One of these groups is a MoM (Mom of Multiples) group that I wish did more events locally.  Tonight I went to their monthly meeting, which also included some "workshops" taught by MoMs who have been there, done that!  It's always nice to get out of the house (alone!) and talk to other moms.  It's even better when these moms can totally relate to what you're going through.  Let's face it, you always gravitate to people that have similar experiences or can relate to what you're dealing with.  Tonight was just great to get out and talk to other moms of twins/triplets and really talk about issues that we go through. 

As I'm sitting there, listening to the "teacher" talk about ways to help multiples develop their own separate identities, it just hit me how my life is so different now.  Not even a year ago I was taking trainings for my career.  This is my "job" now.  My world revolves around them. 

Well just wanted to share my night with you all.  It was nice to meet new people and learn some great things that I will apply now and some in the near future.  Brad doesn't know it yet, but when Juliana and Isabella are ready to be potty trained, he will have to use the potty sitting down hehe.  Sorry dada, the girls will be too young to comprehend why he needs to pee standing up!  So he will have no choice but to be a good model and pee sitting down =)

Goodnight my wonderful followers!

I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way!

So after 8 months of being a MoM, I can honestly say that there has never been a time where I can quickly run to the store to get a few things.  There are always people who want to stop me to ask a million questions about the twins, look at them and/or tell me their own personal stories.  I don't mind the attention and I kindly answer the questions (even if I had just answered them ten mins ago!).  My husband has now mastered the "don't make eye contact" technique, in order to avoid conversation.  Don't get me wrong, I love that people are interested in my twins and want to ask questions.  However, sometimes people can be a bit rude without realizing it. 

About a week ago, I went on a play date with a moms' group that I absolutely love.  As we're sitting in a circle, some of the moms were venting/complaining about their one baby.  What made me really upset was when one of the moms looks over at me, as I'm trying to keep both of my girls in the same area, and says something along the lines of feeling sorry for me because I have to take care of two and how bad I have it.  Really? How dare someone tell me that having twins is anything but a blessing!!!  I wanted to say "You really want to complain about your child being sick at night?  Try having two sick babies at one time, crying at 2am while your husband is at work.  Having to take one baby out of the room to put her to sleep because the other one is sick, crying and wanting to be held too.  Knowing that as your rocking your ONE baby to sleep, your other baby is in her room crying hysterically.  Praying and hoping that she falls asleep quickly so that you can go comfort the other one.  Finally, when baby ONE falls asleep, putting her down on your bed because taking her back to her room will wake her up from her crying sister.  Then going to get my second baby, rocking her to sleep, putting her back in the crib.  Then finally being able to bring baby ONE back to her room." 
No, I didn't say that to her for two reason:

1. I would have proved her right for feeling sorry for me lol
2. She has every right to complain about her own experience as a mother, without someone else putting her down for it.

I just looked at her and sort of laughed.  No point in explaining why having twins is so AMAZING!  I've had plenty of people tell me they're happy they don't have twins.  Yes, I get it, better me than you!  AMEN to that!  But seriously, why do people say those things to a mother of twins? Keep those comments to yourself! What the heck do they want me to say back? Yes, you're right, having twins is horrible!!! Wrong!!! Once again, no point in explaining why having twins is so AMAZING!

About two weeks ago, two of my best friends came to spend the weekend with me.  It was much needed since Brad was working long hours.  We went to the mall to hang out for a bit and have lunch.  As we were leaving, two ladies across the street were staring at us.  I'm used to people staring, but my friends are not.  What is so interesting about loading two babies and putting a monstrous stroller away?  I guess the fact that I was having trouble putting the stroller in the trunk didn't help the situation at all.  The two females started to laugh.  My friend Jessica was getting mad because these ladies were blatantly staring, so she was staring back at them.  I just laughed. 

I know that for some people I'm a walking advertisement for birth control.  I admit, having twins is challenging but I could not fathom having it any other way.  I love that I have two babies that need/want my attention.  There's nothing more amazing than having both of my girls climb on me! How many people can experience that amazing feeling when your baby first learns to crawl twice within the same week? Take that, moms of singletons!  The number one best feeling is to see my twins interact with each other.  I love when they make each other laugh and giggle.  That is something that only MoMs will get to enjoy.  It's mind-blowing to see how two babies, who can't speak yet, talk to each other.  I've watched Isabella purposely do things to make her sister laugh.  She repeatedly does it to get a reaction out of her sissy.  It's so wonderful to see and I love every minute of it. 

I know that outsiders will continue to be fascinated and stop me where ever I go.  I just want people to be nice and keep their negative comments to themselves. Yes, I do have my hands full and yes they're double trouble.  I still wouldn't have it any other way =)

Venting...

So these past few days have been a little tough with Brad working crazy hours due to the RNC. He's been working 12 hr shifts and does not get a single day off. Not to mention that he's working nights, which means I get to do the night routine all by myself. I really wonder how mothers with triplets or more multiples do it? Or even mothers with more than one child do it when their husbands are away.....or just single mothers period. So with that in mind, I know it's a bit stupid for me to complain. Well, I'm not complaining, more so venting.



The girls and I have been sick with a cold and we've had 4 sleepless nights (one with Juju and three with Isa). Are they trying to tell me that they don't want any more siblings? haha. I guess I just hate not getting a break but the number ONE thing that makes this situation even "suckier" is the fact that I have to do bath time all alone. It's so hard with both girls!!! I thought giving them both a bath at the same time would be easier...WRONG! Looking back at it is pretty funny. Trying to dry off one baby yet having to keep an eye on the other one that's still in the tub. Putting the naked baby down on the floor while taking the other one out of the bathtub. Then, as I was putting the diaper on one baby, I was praying that the other one wouldn't pee all over the carpet lol. Oh yeah and making sure she wasn't climbing, eating or doing something she's not supposed to do. Giving them separate baths is not much easier either, especially when the baby that's not getting the bath is tired, cranky and wants your attention as she's climbing up your leg.


Going grocery shopping is a pain too, especially when your grocery list is pretty long. I guess buying toilet paper and paper towels can wait. It sucks that I don't have much room in the cart. Let's just say that a lot of people stare and others come over to talk. The twins are usually pretty good at the grocery store and love to watch everything around them.


Needless to say, this week has made me so grateful that I have such an amazing, hands-on husband. He's so much help! I have to keep telling myself, this is only temporary =)

Busy

So I apologize for not blogging as often as I want. I have been so busy lately and using my spare time to do other things. I blame it on pinterest, reading and crafting lol. Anyways, I promise to post a blog soon. Until then, enjoy these two videos

 Juju Bean falling asleep as she eats.  My poor girl was so tired and hungry that she wanted to do both at the same time hehe =) 

Brad trained Isa to open up her mouth every time he whistles haha.  I know in the video she gets distracted towards the end, but it's the cutest thing =)

Half a year

My twins,

Wow! I can’t believe you both are already six months old.  Words cannot describe how much you two have changed my life and the life of others around you.  I will eternally be grateful to God for giving me such beautiful angels from heaven.   The first time I held you two in my arms will forever be etched in my memory as the HAPPIEST day of my life.  The first few days weeks were tough.  I remember thinking, at times, that I was somehow being robbed from some of the experiences that singleton mothers get to enjoy.  I wanted so bad to be able to feed the two of you at the same time, rock you to sleep or just give each of you equal attention and love.  Your daddy and I were so exhausted and at times, had to relinquish some of the duties to get some rest.  I know understand that I wasn’t’ being robbed from the whole “mother experience” but rather, I was given the blessing of loving and caring for two babies at once.  And so, I have learned to manage to give you as much love as any one baby would get.  The days that both of you take naps at the same time is great because I get to relax (clean, cook, do laundry, etc.).  However, the days that naps are at different times, I enjoy too.  Even though I don’t get a break, it means that I can spend some one-on-one time with each of you.  I can 100% focus on one you for that moment.  When I’m by myself and you two are crying/needing something, I hate having to “choose” which to tend first.  The days that daddy are off are great.  He’s such a big help and he LOVES to play with both of you.  Don’t tell him I’m admitting this, but no one else can make you laugh like he does.  Every time he comes home from work, you two get the biggest smiles on your face and laugh so hard.  Thank you my twincesses for being so happy, full of life and joy.  Because of you, I am now the happiest person in the world.  I pray to God for your safety and health.  Please know that your daddy and I love you more than anything else in this world. 

Juliana,

My first born, my love, daddy and I picked out your name years ago.  And now that you are finally here, you are more beautiful than I could ever imagine.  I love that you and your sister have such distinct personalities.  You want so much more attention and we are happy to give it to you.  You would rather be in my arms than anywhere else.  You love to watch and analyze new people.  You get this trait from your daddy.  As a newborn, you looked so much like a Santos baby.  I think that you are starting to look like me.  You love to cuddle and snuggle with your blanket.  So far, you have hit each milestone before your sister, except for crawling, but she’s right there behind you.  When trying new things, you really want to do them, but get frustrated when you can’t.  You love to "talk" and scream.  You're my vocal little baby.

Isabella,

My little fish-out-of water, you are constantly moving!  I love that about you.  Even in my belly, you were always so active.  You are my happy girl.  Most of the time, you are so content and chill.  I can leave you in one spot and you will entertain yourself or manage a way to get out of it.  It’s so easy to make you smile and laugh.  I think you’re going to be a flirt just like mami.  Put a camera in front of you and you pose; so photogenic.  I love watching you “crawl.”   You love to roll.  Seriously, you never stop moving.  You’re so persistent and never give up.  You can be a bully towards your sister sometimes.  I know you’re not trying to hurt her; you just want to touch her and play with her.  It’s so cute to watch you both interact.  It makes me so happy. 

Zero to Two in 37 Weeks

Birth story...


So I've been wanting to write my birth story for a while now. I'm actually pretty sad that I didn't do it sooner since I'm sure there are a few things I forgot already.

It all started the day of induction. Yes, unfortunately I had to be induced. Let me just say that almost everything I wanted for my birth plan did not go as planned. I'm not going to say that it was a horrible experience because the end result was so amazing, but it was far from ideal. If, let me say that again, IF we ever have any more children, there are soooooooo many things I will do differently. But that would be a totally different blog to write about, if we ever cross that bridge.

The beautiful day was January 2nd, 2012 (1-2-12). The night before, Brad and I went out for a delicious dinner and dessert for a last meal as a family of two. We didn't really feel any anxiety. We were more than ready. I had to go to the hospital a few days before with PAINFUL contractions. Approximately 6 hours later, they realized it was false labor and sent us home. Needless to say, we were ready for the twincesses to arrive.

I had everything packed, slept comfortably and took a hot shower that morning. We got our things, kissed our fur babies goodbye (I was sad that I was not going to see them for a few days) and left for the hospital. I remember how excited we were on the car ride there. Even though it was so early, we were so eager to meet the girls.

Because my pregnancy was considered high risk, I didn't feel like I had much control of how things could go down. Having a natural, home-birth was out of the question...too risky for us! My main concern was being able to give birth vaginally. Out of everything else, that was something I didn't want to change. I knew that I had to mentally prepare myself otherwise, but never really thought it could happen. When a woman is expecting twins and decides to give birth vaginally, she needs to understand that an emergency c-section may happen with baby B, if it decides to move at the last minute and become breeched. I was totally okay with that. It was something that both, Brad and I, wanted to experience. So if Isa had to come out via cesarean, we were ready for that. However, my entire family did not agree.

We got to the hospital at 7am and got admitted right away. When they checked me, I was still 2cm dilated. They started me on Pitocin around 10am and the contractions slowly became closer together and more painful. We waited, and waited and waited for things to slowly progress. Seriously, we hated waiting. At first, I was starving but then the IV kicked in and I felt fine. Brad, on the other hand, decided that if I wasn't eating anything, he wasn't going to either. My poor hubby did not eat a single thing the entire time. I guess he wanted to experience that with me. That was one of the few things he had control over.

A few hours later, the doctor came in to check on me. Since things were progressing slowly, she decided to break my water. Wow, what a weird feeling that was! The funny part was, that fluids kept coming out for a while, like an uncontrollable pee lol. When she broke my water, Brad was right there watching. He said that it was the worse smell ever!!!! Even worse than the smell of dead people. Hey, not my fault he wanted to be that involved lol. Let me just say that after that, the contractions starting getting closer together and freaking painful. Up to this point, things were going pretty well. The babies were still head down, ready to make an entrance into the world. The doctor was so excited to be able to deliver twins vaginally. Everything changed when....................I got an EPIDURAL!

I was a bit hesitant to get it when I was only 4cm dilated. The nurse, somehow, convinced me that getting sooner was better. So I did, out of fear that waiting too long could potentially deprive me from it. Luckily, Brad was able to be in the room and hold my hand while I was getting it. I also had to get a catheter, which was great because I didn't have to get up every 10 mins to go to the bathroom. The epidural felt amazing. The pain was gone. Ahhh, I could finally relax and enjoy everyone's company. Until..........the ITCHING started. WTF, why didn't anyone warn me about this side-effect???? I don't know how to describe how I was feeling. It felt like thousands, no millions, of ants were crawling and biting me all over my upper body. I was BEGGING everyone to scratch me. After a while, my family was refusing to help me because my skin was red from all the scratching. The nurse offered to give me Benadryl to relieve the itching, but it would make me drowsy; I declined. I was already feeling tired and didn't want to be completely exhausted during birth. Things started getting really aggravating when I stopped dilating. The doctor checked me and I was at 4.5 cm.

One hour goes by......Two hours go by.......I was still itching!!!! Ok someone please take me to a mental institution..............I felt like I was losing my mind and nobody was willing to help scratch me. I gave in and took the damn Benadryl. So at this point, I'm completely out of it and STILL 4.5 cm dilated. Ugh, so frustrating! It was obvious that my body was not cooperating. Juliana's heart rate started to drop. The doctor said there was nothing else for us to do and for the health of the twins I would have to get a c-section. My world came crashing down. I would have to wait another hour for the OR to be ready and she would check me one more time before going in. I couldn't help but cry. This is NOT what I wanted. Why was my body not doing what it was meant to do? I knew that I should have waited on the epidural. I couldn't get up and walk around. There was nothing I could do to make my body progress. After that, I didn't want anyone else in the room but Brad. He was my rock. He was right next to me trying to make me feel better about the situation. I wanted everyone to be quiet and let me "relax." I was so exhausted and wanted the girls to come out so bad.

Then finally the time came. The OR was cold and I was really nervous about the surgery. They gave me some other medicine, which made me shake uncontrollably. Not like a little shake, but more like, I'm having a seizure kind of shake. Then the feeling of vomit started. Since there was nothing in my stomach, I started to dry heave. I also had to get oxygen. I remember that at one point, I couldn't breathe. When Juliana first arrived, it took her a few seconds to cry. Ohhhh God, that was the most beautiful sound. I could hear my baby girl crying!!! They quickly showed her to me before whisking her away to check her. Oh yeah, did I mention the room was full of doctors and nurses??? Two minutes later Isabella arrived. She literary came out crying. Not only that, she was grabbing the doctor's tools. How funny is that? My little active girl was already showing her personality. I saw her for few seconds too. Brad went to be with the girls that were in the same room, but on the other side.

I could hear the doctor and nurses talking about something. I knew that something wasn't right. Later I found out that my placenta had attached itself too deeply into the wall of the uterus. This happens about 1 in 2,500 pregnancies and I was the lucky one. Ultrasounds usually can detect this, but in my case they couldn't because I was carrying two. So I had to get stitches in my uterus. Having a c-section was a blessing in disguise.

Juliana Carolina.  Born at 7:03pm 5 lbs 3 oz 17.75 inches long

Isabella Marie. Born at 7:05pm 4 lbs 15 oz 18 inches long

When Brad came over with the girls, I could not open my eyes. I was so out of it that I physically could not make myself open my eyes. He kept saying to look at the girls, and I wanted to so bad, but I couldn't.

When we got to the recovery room, I told the nurse that I didn't want anyone to come in. I wanted to enjoy this moment just the four of us. This nurse allowed me to bond with my twins. For that, I will forever be thankful. Since I didn't get to experience vaginal birth, I at least got to experience that one-on-one skin contact with them. You can't tell in the picture, but I was still shaking pretty bad. I was scared to hurt the babies. Having them finally in my arms was the best feeling in the entire world. I had two beautiful, healthy girls. They were absolutely perfect.
 

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” - Rajneesh

Our first family picture.  I know I look hideous, but I love the simplicity and natural look of it.  We were finally parents.  I loved that we got to enjoy this alone.  Our lives were forever changed on that day. 

Brad was so happy and proud of becoming a dad.  Already a pro at holding both of his little girls =)