Tiny Dancers

This picture is just one example of why it's so cool to have little girls. All three look adorable in their tutus. This picture was taken on Saturday before Gabriella went to ballet. She's been asking to take the girls since they were born so we finally were able to get our act together and get out the door with all the kids. Saturday was her last ballet class because we are taking a break from classes for the month of October. Gabriella was thrilled to show off her new little sisters to her friends in class. The twins enjoyed the music and watching their sister practice. After class we stopped by Greg's office and weighed the little girls. Genevieve now weighs 10 pounds and Julia weighs 9 pounds 3 ounces. They have filled out a little and are getting adorable rolls of fat all over them. They are hard to pick up at the same time but we manage somehow. Later in the day we gave my parents some much needed peace and quiet by leaving the house with all the kids. After a quick lunch we decided to go to Tobaru park. Gabriella rode the rollerslide at least 15 times while the little girls napped in their strollers. The weather was perfect, warm with a cool breeze, San Diego weather. Here is a video of Gabi on the slide.

The Little Ladies

I'm attempting to get this post in before the crying starts again. It's the middle of the night here and these babies are not good sleepers. Well that didn't work out. I wrote those two first sentences 6 hours ago. Consider that a perfect example of how our days are going, you start on a task, then tend to a baby which causes you to forget what you were working on before, but it's worth it. The little babies are growing like weeds and getting cuter everyday. The nights are full of bottles, crying, walking and changing diapers, but the days are filled with sleeping babies and playtime. Gabriella has even been woken up a few times by their nighttime squalling. The sound machine purchased to help the twins sleep has been moved into Gabi's room to ensure she gets a quality nights sleep. Gabriella has been an amazing big sister, she's helpful to the adults and entertaining and loving to the babies. Julia seems to especially love to watch her run around and always turns to find her voice in a room. Genevieve seems to smile only for her especially when she's playing with her little piggies. In the morning Julia drops Gabriella off at the bus stop and Genevieve picks her up in the afternoon. It's a tradition that Gabriella looks forward to each school day. Speaking of daily routines I need to get back to mine, the school bus will be here in 15 minutes and I still have to do Gabriella's hair.

One Month

It's been a month since Julia and Genevieve were born. The house has been in survival mode since they came home from the hospital. Although we ventured out for a few outings we've mainly stayed home taking care of basic daily needs. Just to give you an idea of what those needs are, the girls eat about 60 oz of milk a day. I'd love to say I produce that much, but I don't...yet. They get a few ounces of formula a day so my goal of them being totally breast fed is well within reach. We also go through about 30 diapers a day and a pack of wipes every 3 days. The girls wear an average of 2 outfits a day although some days they've gone through 5. We do laundry for them every other day. I pump 11 times a day and they eat at least 9 times a day. We still try nursing for at least one feeding per day. According to our very unofficial scale Genevieve weighs 9.4 pounds and Julia weighs 8.5 pounds. They've already outgrown their newborn sized clothes and diapers. They've had their first baths and are not big fans. Gabriella has probably given them at least a million kisses each. All this in a month.

In a few weeks my parents go back to California and we will start the process of PCS-ing. I can't imagine what my life will be like then. I look at each day as a gift, I'm pleased to still have most of my sanity. These two little personalities are amazing we are learning their likes and dislikes each day. I like them best when they are quietly studying my face while I'm feeding them. Gabriella likes them best when they are trying to grab her while on the changing table. Greg likes it best when he holds them and they make funny faces. What are their favorite times? I don't know yet, probably when they are fed, wearing a clean diaper and in the arms of someone who loves them.

Tiptoeing through the Tulips: A Garden Adventure

My parents base passes expired on Sunday so we took our last outing until they get approval for an extension on Saturday. Because the weather was so beautiful we headed to the Fukushen Garden in Naha. Because there were seven of us we rented a car so we could all arrive at the same time. The garden was a gift to Okinawa and is set up like a chinese garden. There are beautiful ponds teaming with Koi fish and a few large pagodas scattered throughout the grounds. Gabriella spent her time tossing fish food to the Koi and turtles. The day was hot and wielding the double stroller through the grounds was a little more challenging than expected, but we managed. We took a brief snack and diaper break on a shaded bench overlooking the gardens. On the way home Greg took Gabriella and my parents to the Futenma Cave shrine and I headed straight home with the twins. Our time out of the house was appreciated by everyone. We are hoping that my parents will get their pass extension soon so we can once again venture off base.

School's in Session

Tuesday marked a big day in Gabriella's life, it was her first day of kindergarten. We'd visited the school a week and a half prior to meet her teacher and tour her classroom. But Tuesday was the official first day. Greg and I both got up early and drove her to school so we could take the obligatory picture. She has been so excited to go to school and every small thing on the to do list has made entering school a little more real. It started early in the summer with the purchasing of school supplies. As we ticked things off the list she asked what she would be doing with the 10 glue sticks, or 2 boxes of crayons or the folders. We discussed in detail what the teachers expectations would be regarding behavior and what she could expect to learn. We talked about what she would like to take for lunch and snack time. We've talked up school since she started preschool and I think our enthusiasm paid off. Neither Gabriella or myself cried as she lined up and walked into her classroom. She barely looked back and I could barely tear my eyes away from her retreating form. She walked into the door and I saw 5 years of her life flash before me, first smile, first steps, first words, first day of preschool and now first day of kindergarten. As we drove away from the school I thought of how this will happen ever September for the next 12 years, it was a little mind boggling.

Wednesday was another first for Gabriella, it was her first day to ride the bus. She climbed aboard the big yellow bus with a wave goodbye and headed to school without looking back. The day seems longer without her home. Greg and I took Julia and Genevieve outside to meet big sister as she got off the school bus. Gabi was thrilled to see that her little sisters had come out to greet her. Her details of what she's been doing at school are sketchy at best, but so far she comes home excited to go back. Personally, I'm looking forward to her first day off because I miss her.

Stormy Weather

We had our first typhoon pass over us a few days ago. It certainly did not live up to all the hype. The winds howled a little, but we've heard louder. The rain poured down, but we've definitely had more rain before. We battened down our hatches preparing for what was billed to be a category 3 storm only to be disappointed by the storm itself. Honestly I was relieved that the storm wasn't fiercer. Gabriella and I were able to sleep through the whole thing. Well Gabriella was, I still had to get up to feed babies during the night. The baby girls have only been around 2 weeks and they've already survived a typhoon. August was quite an exciting month for us.

The babies 2 week appointment went great. They are both gaining weight. Genevieve is now over 7 pounds and Julia is almost 6 and a half. They are finally filling out the 0-3 month sized clothes. In fact I think Genevieve may be starting to grow out of the newborn size. The girls also accompanied Gabriella to a birthday party over the weekend. The big sister was thrilled to show off our newest family members to all her friends. We are gearing up for Gabriella's first day of kindergarten on Tuesday. The backpack is packed, the lunch is picked and she is ready. In the picture she is showing her sisters how she can write her name. If August was an exciting month I can only imagine what September is going to bring.