Food, Glorious Food!

Yes, that is right, the boys have started eating food. We started them earlier in the month with rice cereal. Diego seemed to like it right away and caught on really quickly that he was supposed to open his mouth when he wanted more. Mateo, on the other hand, did not like the cereal, and gagged when trying to swallow. He has since gotten better with the gag reflex, but still doesn't like to open his mouth for more.

Last week they tried avocado as their first fruit. It was hilarious to watch. It must have tasted sour to them because they both made a face as if they were sucking on a lemon. They ate it up though, and it encouraged me to take the next step...sweet potatoes.

OK, so I did not know that there is a difference between sweet potatoes and yams, but there is. My desire is to try to make as much of their food as I can. Judging from our first experience, we may not have too much success. Allow me to give you a break down of my first baby food making experience:

My intention was to purchase the vegetables at the local farmer's market, but that plan was quickly changed due to time constraints. Next best thing, go to an expensive market where organic, locally grown vegetables are sold. I chose Nuggett, and ended up with sweet potatoes and yellow squash from somewhere in CA, not locally grown, not organic. No problem, I still wanted to give it a try. We purchased the veggies and headed home, feeling confident that we were still saving money and making healthy choices for the boys.

The next day, I opened up my Super Baby Food book to try and figure out what to do. Keep in mind, Adrian and I don't eat many veggies, so I really had no idea how to even cook the veggies that we had. After reading several options, I decided to boil then puree them and put them into ice cube trays to freeze and store.

The yellow squash was first. Boiled, pureed, poured, virtually no problem. I started to feel like this was easy...then came the sweet potatoes. Boiled, burned my hand peeling off the skin, attempted to puree but broke the food processor when the rubber ring attachemnt broke off into the sweet potatoes. OK, so I started over. Boiled, burned my hand peeling off the skin, blender (since food processor broken), several minutes later had the right consistency to pour into the trays. Froze the veggies and stored them in freezer bags.

We fed the boys the sweet potatoes first, and they were a big hit! They both loved them and wanted more. Mateo even started to open his mouth for more. We are going to offer the yellow squash towards the end of the week. As far as next steps go, bananas are in the near future! I bet they will love bananas! Oh yeah, and I need a new food processor!! The blender really didn't work very well...wish me luck!!

Helmet and Wedding!

Well, Mateo finally has his helmet, and I must say...he is awfully cute with it on!! He is working his way up to wearing it 23 hours per day...and he is doing such a great job. He doesn't fuss at all, it is like he doesn't even notice it. He is such a trooper!

This past weekend Andrea and Caleb got married. We had family from all over the world, literally! Tio Johnny, Andrea and Juan Cruz from Argentina, Tia Martha from Chile, Carmena and Choche from Chicago and Bolivia, Lizette and Javier from Texas, and tons of family from Mexico!!It was so fun, and the boys looked so cute!! Their suits matched their daddy...how cute!!

Andrea was a beautiful bride, of course!! Caleb made for a very handsome groom! We danced all night and really had a blast. I can't believe it is already over!! We got a couple of close ups with the boys, they are so cute!!

This weekend we are heading back to Redwood City to celebrate with the family. Sunday is Ignacio's Birthday, so we are all heading to Redwood City for a party...and I mean all of us! The del Rio's have invited our entire family along with the guests from South America, to come and have a barbecue at their house. We are super excited to go and for the Pacheco's and del Rio's to come see how big the boys have gotten!!

Four months old!

Oh!! The boys are growing and growing, right before our eyes! Sometimes it feels like we can't keep up or take enough pictures!! Here is a picture of Mateo laughing with mommy, we sure do have a lot of fun together! His personality is so tranquil, he really hangs out...unless he gets hungry! He can let you know when he needs to be fed, but who can blame him?? I get kinda cranky when I am hungry, too! He is doing so great on his tummy time and is really holding his head up well!

He is being fitted for his helmet on Monday. It takes about a week for it to come in, so we should have it before the end of the month. Hopefully it won't be too uncomfortable for him. he will be wearing it 23 hours a day!

Diego is growing and changing so much, too! Below is a pic of him laughing with mommy. He loves to laugh and interact with people. He is really a flirt, too! He will talk to anyone! He is doing great on tummy time, just like brother. We are so proud of both of our boys!! We think they are awesome!

Torticollis

Hello all, hope everyone is enjoying their Valentine's Day! We have had a mellow evening preparing for Andrea's bridal shower tomorrow! I just wanted to take a moment and explain what is going on with Mateo. Many people may already know that he has a condition called tortocollis, which means that he has a stiff neck and only turns to one side comfortably. This is from being wedged so tightly in the womb. We have been stretching him and taking him to physical therapy every other week to help him get range on his other side. His range has improved, but he doesn't like to use it much. There can be some long term effects if he does not start to use the other side of his neck, which can effect his fine motor skills such as grasping objects or even crawling! Our hope is that the condition was caught so early that we can help him before it gets too severe. However he has been sleeping on only one side of his head, which has made one side of his head flatter than the other. It is not super noticeable, but does need to be corrected. Our hope is that he will start to use his other side and balance out the shape of his head naturally, but the doctor thinks we may need to take preventive action in the form of a head shaping helmet. He will be reassessed in April to make the final determination whether or not he will need the helmet. If he does get it, he will wear it for 23 hours a day, for approximately 4-6 months. It should make for an interesting summer when the weather can reach over 100 degrees!

Besides the stiff neck, both boys are doing so well. They continue to laugh, coo, and are so interactive. They are working hard at tummy time and holding up their neck. It is a lot of fun to watch them grow and change!

We will be in Redwood City next weekend, February 21, to introduce the boys to the family! We are super excited for everyone to meet them. It will be the longest car ride they have done, so we are hoping for no traffic!!!

FINALLY!!

Ok, so my New Year's Resolution was to blog and upload my pictures once a week. Today is January 29 and it is the first time I have done it. So much for resolutions. Seriously though, I am going to try to be better about updating this site.

The boys are almost 13 weeks old and are crazy big! They are over 12 pounds...Mateo still is about a half pound bigger that Diego. They are smiling and cooing and keeping us busy during the day. Thankfully, they are both sleeping through the night, from about 10 pm to 5 am. It is awesome!

Diego recently figured out how to suck his thumb, but can't do it every time. It is so cute to watch him try to figure it out, sometimes he sticks his thumb up his nose, or sticks his whole fist in his mouth. It is only a matter of time before he figures it out...uh-oh! Hopefully it won't become a habit that is too hard to break later (wishful thinking??) Diego is constantly moving when he is awake, kicking his legs, moving his arms, very active! He loves to look around and take it all in, he truly does not want to miss a thing!

Mateo is still our mellow baby, but is super alert when he is awake. He makes great eye contact and can stare at mommy and daddy for extended periods. It is so sweet just to sit and stare into his eyes! He is seeing a physical therapist for a muscle in his neck that has been tight since birth. He is making great progress and Adrian and I have had fun helping him stretch and use both sides of his neck.

We have had many visitors and look forward to bringing the boys to Redwood City very soon. We are trying to wait until the end of the cold and flu season, just to be safe. Grandma and Grandpa are coming to Lincoln frequently and the boys love getting spoiled by their grandparents!

Here are some current pics of the boys...the are SO CUTE, don't ya think????

Diego hanging out on the couch.

Mateo doing the same.

Bumbo time!

Sleeping like angels...in mommy and daddy's bed!

Right before a bath, so much fun!

First Christmas

Wow! What an eventful week we have had. I can't believe how blessed these boys are...we don't know what to do with all their new stuff! I am definitely looking forward to when they can use some of these toys...fun! Their new outfits are super cute, too! We are so grateful!!

Sadly, the boys are coming down with their first cold. Despite our attempts to keep them healthy, they are very stuffy right now. It is so hard to hear them sniffle, especially when they are trying to sleep. Luckily, no one has a fever and they are both still eating well. We are taking them to see Dr. Don tomorrow, just to get checked out and for peace of mind. I wonder how much they weigh now?? They are growing WAY too fast!!

We are looking forward to a quiet New Year's Eve, just the four of us hanging out. Who knows if we will even make it to see the ball drop, it may be time for us to sleep, feed or change diapers!! We would not trade this in for anything! Just in case we don't blog before New Year's, we wish everyone blessings for 2009!!

Time Flies!!!!

Diego likes to snuggle with his brother/Diego chilling in his boppy

Mateo hanging in his boppy/Mateo and Diego as Santa

Well, time officially flies by with little ones around!! I can hardly believe that it has been almost 3 weeks since our last blog...sorry! The babies are growing so fast, right before our eyes it seems. Adrian and I are loving every minute of this thing called parenthood, even the all nighters that happen every once in a while. Honestly, our boys are really good, and sleep for 4-5 hours most nights. Occasionally they like to stay up and party, but who wouldn't with fun parents like us??

As of their last appointment, 2 weeks ago, Mateo weighed 7lb 8 oz and Diego weighed 7 lb 2 oz. The doctor was amazed at their growth, and told us to keep it up. Well, judging by how they feel in our arms, we are doing just that. I can't pick them up with one hand anymore, and it is tough to walk up or down the stairs holding them both. They are both starting to smile more, although we haven't been able to catch it in a picture yet.

Both boys love their bathtime, and Mateo especially loves the baby massage after the bath. He goes right to sleep after his massage. Diego, on the other hand, doesn't really appreciate the massage, maybe it will grow on him...

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and we look forward to seeing all our family over at my sister, Monica's house. As you can see, the boys will be festively dressed in Santa suits, SO cute (thanks Grandma Paula!) Christmas Day, Adrian's family will come to celebrate with us, and the boys have another Santa suit to wear that day (thanks Mami Trini (Adrian's Grandmother). In between, the boys have 2 different Christmas PJ's to wear (thanks Grandma Trini and Auntie Ericka) so they will be festive the whole time!! I wonder if these guys know how loved they are??

Adrian and I wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy Hannukah! This season really reminds us of the importance of family and friends and how truly blessed we are to have you all in our lives. We will be sure to post more pics soon!!!