merry christmas!

because we knew we'd be busy with two little elves this december, we had no plans for celebrating christmas.  we even made a pact in the hospital that we would not get each other gifts - we figured the babies were our gifts to each other anyway!  needless to say, we were thrilled when john's parents said they'd be arriving on christmas for a week long stay, especially since we hadn't seen them since the day after olivia and jackson's birthday (they were our first visitors!).   also, thanks to my mom's good friend mayellen, we even had fabulous outfits for the babes, which got us all in the festive mood!

just shy of 3 weeks old

could they be any cuter?!?

little elf feet!

santa (aka john's parents) made a christmas afternoon delivery

mr. and mrs. claus

our little stocking stuffers

bones assisting in gift opening

all tuckered out

jackson and olivia make more friends

we've been so fortunate to have so many visitors come over to meet the babes!  they tend to be sweethearts (and sleep) when our friends hold them so they are definitely making a great impression - hopefully, that will keep our friends coming back for more!

ryann, kim, and kel

(we should have put bones in kim's arms!)

newly engaged stace and andrew =)

abe and eve

mario 

nawz and omid

ari and kelly

a couple of "firsts"

over the past few days, olivia and jackson have had some new experiences, including the not-so-fun bath!  they did pretty well all things considering - i mean, it's not like john or i have ever bathed anything other than ourselves and bones.  hopefully, with practice we'll perfect our technique and the babes will enjoy the bath time ritual.  the good part about their screams was that they were tuckered out and slept a little longer that night!

olivia went first

not too happy

feeling much better

jackson's shrieking woke up bones

our little eskimo

all ready for bed

the other few "firsts" they had this past week included trying out some of the awesome gifts we received from friends!  we're loving the new carriers we got - they've been a life-saver in the house when the babes want to be carried but we also need our hands.  same goes for the awesome bouncy seats - a little vibration and music allows me and john to enjoy a relaxing dinner.

thanks auntie sara!  we have to keep these elevated

as bones has his eye on the dangling toys

my newest fashion accessory

thanks to ryann and sheila and giselle

two weeks old!

olivia and jackson are two weeks old today and doing great!  we went to the pediatrician yesterday and they are healthy and growing - they regained their birthweight with jackson at 6lbs and olivia at 6lbs 4oz.  we are loving all the time we get to spend together (hooray for john's paternity leave) and are enjoying introducing them to our friends and family!

tummy time!

getting ready for the ride to the doctor

enjoying time with all my babies

uncle mike and aunt keet

managed to feed both at the same time - quite the challenge!

Lisa and J.T. - getting ready for their twins to arrive in march!

cousin regan

cousin michelle

peacefully napping

giving some love to our first born

family stroll through the neighborhood

thankful for a huge food package from john's friends

olivia and jackson are here!

on tuesday, december 6, we went in for a routine doctor appointment at 36 weeks and ended up scheduled for a c-section that night - thank goodness we had bags packed!   

the c-section went well and thankfully jackson and olivia were healthy and big (6lbs and 6lbs, 2oz) so we were thrilled!  unfortunately for me, due to an overstretched uterus (i did have more than 12 pounds of baby in there!), I started losing lots of blood and required transfusions of blood.  ultimately, I made a trip back to the OR to get the bleeding under control and woke up the next morning looking like I was hit by a bus!  needless to say, the first few days of my recovery were really rough, but thankfully, john is the best husband and dad i could have hoped for.  i don't think i changed a diaper or swaddled a baby until several days later!

it's been about a week and half now and the family is doing great!  we've headed out each day, whether it's for doctor appointments or walks around the neighborhood to get some exercise and fresh air. over the past week, it's been great bonding and getting to know their little personalities. jackson has been super mellow, sleeps a lot and reminds us a bit more of his dad.  on the other hand, olivia can be a bit more feisty (and at times fussy), which my mom claims is how I was as a baby.  we are so excited that they are finally here and know that our lives will never be the same...

john getting ready to be a papa

delivery of olivia at 9:02pm

delivery of jackson at 9:03pm

'buelo carlos and 'buela kelly

grandma vivien and auntie keet

papa bob (and our resident chef)

nana susie (and our resident laundry queen)

jackson and the boys!

mellow jackson and fussy olivia

dad and son =)

ready to head home!

special delivery x2

throughout this pregnancy, we've had the most amazing support from everyone.   going through such a special and, at times, anxious period in our lives, we've been so thankful for all the calls, visits, gifts and words of wisdom and comfort that we've been showered with.   to you all that we are talking about, we love you and can't wait for you to meet the little ones...and to continue that support in changing diapers, babysitting, etc. =)

after the initial shock of having twins wore off, the next thing we thought about was how we would need two of almost everything.  we also realized that our lives were about to get more hectic than ever imagined, so we wanted to make sure we could have one final celebration with our friends before the little ones arrive.

a double baby bash gave us a chance
to catch up with everyone!spec

our dear friend reece, who happens to be a fabulous designer, made us feel
extra special with the invitations and all the fabulous details at the party!
check her out at http://theresejacintodesign.blogspot.com

never thought we'd need a double stroller from the start
thanks kelly!

it has been quite a challenge fitting two cribs in a tiny room
thanks dee!

you can't have a football player without a cheerleader =)
thanks cryztal and tre!