Welcome 2008! :)

Happy New Year everybody!

Vito and Carlos at 6 months

They now have the same milk - regular Enfapro Milk Supplement (stage 2), and can consume about 6-8oz per feeding. They eat Cerelac twice a day, about 2 teaspoonfulls per feeding. They are now practicing how to walk, with some help from the walker and yaya. (Note: It is dangerous to leave your baby alone in the walker). They are more attentive now. They reciprocate by smiling or reaching out to you. They laugh when you make funny faces and when you open-close your hand. They giggle when you tickle their neck, armpits, tummy, hands and feet.

Carlos weighs 8.2 kilos (18.04 lbs), but seems much heavier than that when you carry him. I call him "heavy-gat" (as in he-bigat) or sometimes the "heavyweight champ!". He loves to say "ehh.. ehh.. ehh.." before he sleeps at night. I would imitate him, sing and use the "ehh" syllable for the entire song.

It seems that he can already recognize his name. If you say "Caaar..los", he will turn his head to see who is calling. His favorite position now is with his hands clasped together over his chest (as if praying, naks!). If he is not sleepy he will not sleep, no matter how hard you try to put him to sleep. But, when he is tired and sleepy, a few rocking movements will put him to sleep, and he will not wake up no matter how noisy you are. *:P

Carlos is an Explorer. He loves to reach out, roll over to reach or look at something. He is not afraid to get hurt and would roll over to touch something.

Vito weighs 7.4 kilos (16.28 lbs). He smiles easily, laughs and makes babbling sounds. He loves taking a bath, and cries when you take him out of the water. He enjoys toys that makes a sound and lights up. He has upgraded to the stage 2 version of his Pigeon pacifier, which is suitable for weaning babies. (Weaning is the process of introducing solid foods into your baby's diet in order to fulfil their growing nutritional needs.)

During playtime, he can spin, turn and roll over easily because he is magaan. He doesnt sleep in the afternoon and waits for me to come home. His face lights up when I ask him how his day was. I carry, cuddle, feed him for a few minutes and he falls asleep. He can pronounce "ma.. ma.." usually at night when he wants more milk.

Vito is an Observer, and would always look around him. You can leave him on the bed or in the crib and he would just gaze around or look at the crib mobile. When you carry him, he would look to his right, to his left, front and back.

Christmas 2007

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas! :)

Santa was thoughtful enough to wrap Vito's gifts with blue paper; and used green for Carlos' gifts :)

Merry Christmas Kuya Vito! :)

Merry Christmas Carlos Antonio! :)

It's the most wonderful time of the year :)

Vito getting his gifts. He woke up in time for Noche Buena.



Carlos getting his gifts. He is masungit because we woke him up for Noche Buena. Hehehe...

In the morning, we went to mass at the Dominican Nuns Monastery. This is the twins' very first mass. They were very behaved inside the Church. :)



(L-R): Jeo, Keith, Mama w/ Vito, Justin, Papa Dong w/ Carlos, Jovie and Bogs



(L-R): Jeo, Mama, Keith w/ Vito, Justin, Papa Dong w/ Carlos, Jovie and Bogs



Vito and Carlos riding the camels, on their way to Bethlehem. *:P



Let's remember the real reason for this season...

Happy Birthday Jesus! :)

The twins @ night

Night time is something I look forward to everyday because that's the time I get to be with the twins. Bedtime usually starts at 6pm. I wash them off, change their diapers and clothes. I sing to them, cuddle, tell a story, say our prayers (the same every night). I kiss them goodnight and say "I love you Vito", "I love you Carlos".

When they're asleep, I always "siksik" beside Vito or Carlos (alternate every night). I love sleeping beside them... they smell so mabango! :) I can relax and sleep, knowing they're okay.



This is how they usually sleep at night - 3 feet away from each other. It's because Carlos sleep-crawls to his Kuya and sometimes rolls over him.

Even at daytime, we dont sit them close together because they would unknowingly pull, hit and pinch each other. Vito is always excited to play with Carlos... he smiles and flaps his arms, but Carlos would look at his Kuya with his crooked brow and inquisitive eyes, then cry if Vito touches him. Hahaha!

Here's something you don't see everyday... Carlos holding the hand of his Kuya. :)

Feed, change, bathe, REPEAT

Our yayas left for Christmas vacation, so I was home alone with the twins. We had all-day singing, dancing, playing and cuddling... that's 24 hours of non-stop Vito and Carlos Hahaha! Last time I had this was three months ago when I was still on maternity leave, and I actually missed the twins.

Taking care of them can be really demanding... Feed, change, bathe, REPEAT. It is a lot of hardwork, but it's all good :) Their smiles are rewarding. I cant ask God for more... :)

Vito and Carlos at 5 months

They now giggle and make little baby talk. Their laughs are contagious. They love to suck their hands (not thumb). They love playing with their dad who is at home during the day. They now sleep through the night, with one or two feedings.

Vito's latest accessory is the bib because he is always salivating (tulo laway). He can now reach things in his play gym. If you give him something, he will reach it using his left hand. He can sit, and support himself by putting both hands on the bed.. (galing!). We gave him a teether, which he can hold using both hands, but he just licks it.

During bed time, he would make long garbled sounds as if singing himself to sleep. He is actually asking you to sing for him. Once you do, he will stop singing and fall asleep in an instant. :) He sleeps late when I'm not at home, and wakes up when I arrive.. (hihihi!).

Carlos is seen here playing with his lolo papa dong (not in photo). He can now roll over and move about. You cannot leave him unattended on the bed! Sometimes, he rolls over his kuya, but Vito will not mind. I am not surprised. Even inside my tummy, Carlos is the "malikot" one. I had one ultrasound check-up wherein my OB just finished taking the measurements of Vito and when she moved the probe to check on Carlos, he has already changed his position. *:P

During sleep time, he wants to be carried in an up-right position; he no longer likes the cradle position. Poor little Carlos, he seems to be a favorite of the mosquitos and other insects. No matter how much we keep our apartment spotless, there is always a new bite every day. As for his teether, he gets really irritated and throws a tantrum when he cannot tear it apart. So, no teether for him. *:P

Wedding - Jayson and Polly

Kabuki was reunited today at Sanctuario de San Jose for the wedding of our Kabuki sister Polly and her long time beau, Jayson. It happened to be her 29th birthday, too! :)

I was assigned to the Responsorial Psalm, which I willingly agreed to do. But, I had a few problems at the church. In respect to the newlyweds, I will forget about the argument I had with their coordinators. I will not tell that my other friends also had an altercation with the same group. Nope, I will not tell the controversial story. Hahaha!

Here's Kabuki at the altar, with the newlyweds:

Reception followed at Oasis. Food was good.. I especially loved the dessert buffet! :)

Here's wishing Jayson and Polly more wonderful, loving years together. May God continue to shower you with His graces. I love you both, mwah! :)

Xmas Party at Ratsky's Morato

This is the one and only Christmas party I attended this year. Because of my many responsibilites now, I am thankful I was able to attend even one. The twins were at my parents' house, while Keith and I attended our respective Christmas parties. Mine was held at Ratsky's in Tomas Morato; His was a Christmas dinner at Conggo Grill, El Pueblo in Ortigas. Traffic was terrible! Waahh..

The real reason for my attendance is the 42" flatscreen TV that was up for grabs. As usual, I didn't win in the raffle, not even the minor prizes. Sheesh! Better luck next year *:P

Already sleepy. Was awake at 3am. It is now 10pm. Keith picked me up, and stayed for a while to make chitchat with his former groupmates. Then, we all went to a nearby bar for more catching up, and to eat some real food. *:P

Ready.. Set.. Go!

Carlos in foreground, Vito in background. At five months, they are learning to lift their heads up, while lying on their tummies. Now, it's just a matter of months (or is it weeks?!) before they start to crawl. Ahahay!! Hehehe... :)

The day I turned 29

Today, I turned 29. Malapit na mawala sa kalendaryo (hahaha! *:P)

My family and I had dinner at San Jacinto Panciteria along C5. We had hototay soup, yang chow fried rice, my favorite chicken w/ spring onion and ginger, sweet and sour pork, and of course, seafood pancit (for long life *:P).



This was taken at Mom and Tina's Bakery Cafe where we had choco cake and coffee for dessert.



Sayang, the twins were left at home coz gabi na. They are also celebrating their 5th month today. Choco roll cake from Rustan's grocery store.

Vito and Carlos at 4 months

A happy kuya Vito is seen in this photo. At four months and 3 weeks, he is now 6.2 kilos (13.64lbs). Gone are the days when he gets startled with the sound of a motorcycle. He is now more receptive when called or tickled. He sings and laughs and sometimes, screams. During feedings, he can hold his bottle using two hands. His favorite sleeping position is on his tummy, with a pacifier. His favorite channel is Playhouse Disney Channel. His favorite expression is "a-ca-ca!". Say that with a nodding head, and it will surely bring a smile on his face. Cry factors: when hungry, when sleepy



The ever-inquisitive Carlos is seen in this photo. At four months and 3 weeks, he is now 7.4 kilos (16.28lbs). He still screams when his milk is "bitin". He can inch his way on his tummy to reach his feeding bottle. He is now more receptive than previous months. He smiles and giggles. He can stand with support, (tight knees already). He loves his crib mobiles and these toys help him to sleep. He can now sleep through the night, whew! :) Guaranteed smile factor is the word "ohhh-kei!" being said with a nodding head. His ultimate cry factors are: when hungry, when bored, when ignored

The Merry Xmas Twins

Vito and Carlos' christmas greeting picture. Taken at four months old. :)



Christmas gifts, under a christmas walis w/ balls, courtesy of Gg... *:P

Lolo Papa Dong's Birthday

Vito and Carlos with their lolo papa dong on his birthday.

Eyes Eyes Baby

My greatest insecurity is my very short to the point of non-existence eyelashes. When I was pregnant I would always look at Keith's eyelashes and hoped that my babies would inherit his long lashes and... they did! Hehehe...

One day, Vito was sleeping and I was so amazed at his very long lashes that I really had to take a picture of it. Hehehe...



Here is Carlos... covering his long lashes with this bumblebee shades *:P

Celebrities raising twins

Al Pacino and Beverly D'Angelo
Twin boy and girl: Anton and Olivia, January 25, 2001

Robert DeNiro and Toukie Smith
Twin boys: Aaron Kendrick and Julian Henry, 1995

Jane Seymour and James Keach
Twin boys: John and Kristopher, 1995

Julia Roberts and Dan Moder
Twin boy and girl: Phinnaeus Walter and Hazel Patricia, November 28, 2004

Marcia Cross and Tom Mahoney
Twin girls: Savannah and Eden, February 20, 2007

Denzel Washington and Pauletta Pearson
Twin boy and girl: Malcolm and Olivia, April 10, 1991

Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan
Identical twin girls: Aquinnah Kathleen and Schuyler Frances

P. Diddy and Kim Porter
Twin girl and boy: D'Lila Star and Jesse James, December 21, 2006

Elvis Costello and Diana Krall
Twin boys: Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank Harlan James, October 3, 2006

Dave Mathews and wife Ashley
Twin girls: Stella Busina and Grace Anne, August 15, 2001

Famous people with a twin

Gisele Bündchen, supermodel (twin sister Patrícia)

Aaron Carter (twin sister, Angel Carter)

Vin Diesel, American actor (fraternal twin brother Paul Vincent)

Andy Garcia, actor (parasitic twin brother removed from Andy's shoulder; died soon after)

Ashton Kutcher, actor (fraternal twin brother Michael)

Alanis Morissette, Canadian rock singer/songwriter (twin brother Wade)

Elvis Presley, (twin brother Jesse Garon died at birth)

Isabella Rossellini, actress (twin sister Ingrid)

Kiefer Sutherland, actor (twin sister Rachel)

Historical twins

Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene (1st century BC), twin children of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

Hamnet and Judith Shakespeare, twin son and daughter of William Shakespeare.

Baptism Reception

This tarpauline is free from our package with Dencio's. I gave them a CD of the twins' pictures and said na sila na ang bahala to choose the picture. Funny lang coz the picture they got for Carlos is nka-hiwi ang mouth hehe

While the guests ate, Kuya Vito was sleeping.

Here is Carlos, who just woke up and nag iinat pa :P

As a parent, I hope they become good children of God. :)

Baptism - Supplier Ratings

Since the birth of the twins, we've been busy 24 x 7. One day, we decided na to have the twins baptized coz they're growing up so fast. The binyag was biglaan lang, and we didnt have enough time to prepare. Nevertheless, we were able to pull it through, with a little help from our family and friends. Here's my supplier ratings:

Church: Sanctuario De San Jose [East Greenhills]
Rating: 10

We had no hassle with the church. Our transaction with them went smoothly. We just paid the reservation for a special baptism, and everything was set. We were told to bring the twins and their candles. That's all we needed to prepare.

The baptism ceremony started on time. We were told that only the ninongs/ninangs should be present in the baptistry. But of course, we didnt follow that coz many of our guests went to the church. Ayun, hindi kame kinaya ng aircon hehehe Mainit, kaya we had to remove the shoes and polo of the twins coz they were getting irritated na with their outfits.

Reception: Dencio's [Connecticut St.]
Rating: 10

This is conveniently located a few meters away from the church, as in walking-distance lang. We had the 2nd floor exclusive to our 120 guests. Our buffet menu included chopsuey, kare-kare, chicken barbeque, tiyan ng bangus, sisig, rice and iced tea. Included in the package is a free tarpauline. We submitted the twins' picture a few days before the event. Again, smooth transaction with the restaurant. No problem whatsoever.

Invitations: Fax & Parcel [Megamall]
Rating: 9

You can order personalized invites and get them the same day. Ain't that cool?! I ordered 25 pcs and got them the following day coz they couldn't find the layout that I wanted and they had to get it pa from their MOA branch. It was okay as I was not in a hurry. I was very satisfied with the result. Our invites looked cute, if not perfect :)

Baptism Registry: Baby & Co. [Podium]
Rating: 10

Their items are nice, made with good quality and are reasonably-priced. The staff are helpful and accommodating. We had the twins listed at their registry, and got several discount coupons.

Outfit: Polo and Shorts Set [Greenhills]
Rating: 10

We went to the baptism outfit section of different malls, but couldn't find a polo and shorts set that would fit our 3-month old twins. All they had were barong-type or those jusi/pina long gowns. And so, we went to Greenhills and sure enough we found what we were looking for. :)

Shoes: Enfant [Market Market]
Rating: 10

The corduroy dark blue shoes were a perfect match to the twins' outfits.

DIY: Candles and Ribbons
Rating: 10

I bought sperma candles from SM Mega home section and the blue/green satin ribbons from National Bookstore.

Cake: Gift from ninangs (Kabuki sisters)
Rating: 10

They brought two round cakes (one green, one blue) with Baby Pooh topper. We had it served sa guests as dessert. It was yummy and you bet, naubos agad! :)

Photographer/Videographer: Ninongs (my brothers)
Rating: 10

Okay, for the effort my rating is 10 Hehehe...

Thank you to our families and friends who helped us in the preps and on the baptism day itself. Special thanks to our relatives who attended the baptism of our twins. And of course thank you to the ninongs/ninangs for the gifts. We had our living room full - it felt like Christmas! :)

The day the twins were baptized

We arranged a special baptism for our twins this morning. They are three months old. :)

It was solemnized at Sanctuario de San Jose (Duke St. cor Buffalo St., East Greenhills). All our closest families and friends were there to witness the event. :)

This is Vito being baptized by Father Allen:





This is Carlos being baptized by Father Allen:





With their uncles, Jeo and Bogs, as the official photographers (in the background) *:P



Half-way through the ceremony, the twins started to get irritable because it was getting warm. The aircon wasn't enough for all of us. We had to remove their polo, shoes and socks. So much for the grown-up attire. *:P



Vito with his godparents - Ninangs Irene Pajaro w/ husband Vicents, Lhanie Alpay, Carmina Landrito and Mian Rigor; Ninongs Justin Abraham, Mike Panela, Edwin Concepcion, Mark Alano, Paolo Viñas and Vic Silvestre. (Not in picture: Ninang Yasmin Yusay; Ninongs Jj Layo and Marvin Millan)



Carlos with his godparents - Ninangs Erika Almalbis, Michelle Lotho, Donna Cortez, Gypsy Rigor and Melody Silvestre; Ninongs Jeo Abraham, Rommel Panganiban (Not in picture - Ninangs Laureen Jacinto and Polly Chiuco; Ninongs Donald Labao, Anteng Gudao, Dan Okol and Mein Bernabe)



Photo op with their Gg (a.k.a. Gorgeous Grandma *:P).

Finally, Vito and Carlos are now Catholics. :)

Lunch immediately followed at the 2nd flr of Dencio's Bar & Grill in Connecticut St. Here's a picture with my Kabuki sisters, all Ninangs of course. ;)



More baptism photos here:
http://community.webshots.com/user/keithandjovie

The day before the baptism

A day before the baptism, we went shopping for the perfect polo and shorts for the twins. We didn't want the usual baptism attire, so we got this blue checkered polo w/ matching white shorts. We also bought dark blue corduroy shoes from Enfant.

I made sure we had candles for the ceremony, so we bought 50 sperma candles and tied blue and green ribbons for Vito and Carlos, respectively.



A quick order from Fax & Parcel (Megamall branch) produced these cute invitations, white envelope included.

We also inserted a vicinity map printed on special paper. The twins are registered at Baby & Co. (Podium/Rockwell branches).

Smile for the camera! This is our first family pic :)

With Vito and Carlos at two months...



One plus one is two
and that's the both of you.
Twice as much to love
two blessings from above.
Two precious lives to mold
two little hands to safely hold.
God touched our hearts
so deep inside,
our special blessing
multiplied!! =)

The sleeping angels

Mother of Twins Prayer

There's two to wash,
There's two to dry;
There's two who argue,
There's two who cry.

One's in the mud,
Having a ball;
The other holds a crayon...
Another marked wall.

Some days seem endless,
My patience grows thin.
Why did God choose me
To be a mother of twins?

The answer comes clear-
At the end of the day,
As I tuck them in bed
And to myself I say...

There's two to kiss,
There's two to hug;
And best of all,Thank You, God,
for two to love



Vito and Carlos at one month.