What the hell is going on?

Holy Shit, a blog update! It's been 3 years since my last post...a few quick major updates...

- The boys are now 4 and will be 5 next month!

- We moved from Jersey City in December 2014 to Nutley and it has been amazing

- Lisa is now doing the SAHM thing. She went back to work for a few months though in January but is now doing some freelance stuff from home

- The boys are all registered for Kindergarten in September *tear


I gotta update this site with recent pics. But as George Costanza would say, I'm back baby!!

Neratwins in 2014

I haven't posted in about 7 months! That's insane. So much has changed, not even sure where to begin. First off, I am now back to freelancing. Right now I am on an MTV gig with a producer I worked with when I was a PA on cribs, Erika. She's amazing. I should be on this for another 2 weeks. Lisa is still going strong on Dora and the spin-off they're working on now got a 2nd season pickup already which is great news. So she'll be on it for at least another 2 years. Hopefully longer! We have been thinking of what she/us will do after Dora finally wraps up. We both want to start up our own show one day with 2 of our friends who are also in the biz. Hopefully that can come to fruition soon…

The boys are now 20 months old! Here's a quick recap:

1. No more pacifiers! Took them away at maybe 16 months and haven't looked back

2. They are both running and climbing everywhere. They just learned how to climb onto our dining room table! So yeah, gotta somehow make that childproof

3. They push around their highchairs to different parts of our living room/dining room

4. They dance on cue, can point to many different body parts, love singing The Wheels on the Bus and Happy Birthday

5. Since they were around 16 months, they became obsessed with the movie Pitch Perfect. I tried to get them into normal kid movies like Toy Story but…prognosis negative. They don't give a shit about Woody and Buzz LightYear. On a brighter note, they're finally starting to get over it but Jericho is now obsessed with a Music Video that was part of the iTunes Extras from the movie. Honestly, its pretty sweet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYtYCNkR1Yo

6. Whenever we turn on any light in a room they both yell out in unison "Liiiiigggghhhhhttt!"

7. They started to play a game of running with each other. Jericho would stand on one side of the room, Gray would yell "Go!" and Jericho would run to him. And then they would change it up. Its the cutest thing ever.

8. They speak to each other in their baby talk a whole lot. I often wonder if they're talking about us hahahaha "this guy keeps asking me where my nose is, what the fuck is his problem?!"

Since I am now freelancing, I often have a few days off in between gigs and its great that I get to spend time with them at home. It can get frustrating at times because they still aren't fully comprehending what we say and they are constantly testing their limits. I try to remain calm and be stern with them but sometimes, I can't keep a straight face and end up laughing. They are quite comedic when they're being naughty.

I just realized I have a draft that i never finished from back in October! I gotta try to write more...

Neratwins Update!

I haven't posted in many moons! Been pretty busy obviously. But just wanted to write a quick update on the boys. Every time I try to think back before they turned 1 to something specific like the first time we gave them baby food, I can't ever seem to remember the exact month (I think it was around 6-7 months). So I thought blogging about what they're up to would be a good way to keep track of some fun stuff. Here we go:

1) They love walking around our living room and LOVE trying to get into the kitchen [if they get past our gate!]. They started playing with our water dispenser and of course that makes a mess. We had to childproof the kitchen the most because they would get into all the cupboards and also play with the oven knobs. So we got that all covered. The cupboard locks are a bitch to open and close...guess thats why its childproof haha. When in the kitchen, they love playing with our recycling...old cardboard milk cartons and stuff.

2) Their vocabulary is slowly improving. They can say: up, car, dada, mama, hi and bye, uh-oh. They also started shaking their heads "No" which is frustrating and hilarious.

3) Lisa just started this little game with them. She yells "ready? set? go!!!" and they both take off running...even during a tantrum they're having or if they're fighting with each other. Its pretty hilarious

4) We are starting to ween them off bottles. We stopped giving them bottles of milk during the day and only give it to them through a straw in a cup. And the biggest hurdle so far was not giving a bottle during bedtime. So we had to establish a new routine with them that has been working...it just takes longer to get them to wind down. We bring them in their room

The 4th

Our 4th of July weekend was quite eventful.

On that Thursday, I really wanted to go watch a movie. We haven't been to a theater in over a year since the boys were born and I missed a ton of movies that I really wanted to check out. So I decided to ask my mom to come over and watch the boys and I told Lisa the plan and she went along with it reluctantly. She was worried the boys would freak out since my mom hasn't watched them since they were little. But I assured her they would be fine. Meera came up to help mom out and we were off to the movie theater! We saw World War Z, definitely a different take on zombies [from being avid Walking Dead watchers]. Lisa really enjoyed the film and it made me very happy to see that she was really into the movie. It was so good to be back in an actual theater with no interruptions and no need for a pause button because a baby was crying or banging their toys too loudly. When we went back home, Mom said that Graybear cried for a while after he noticed that we were gone and then eventually fell asleep. Coco was fine though. Meera was able to keep him busy. At night, Meera Justin and Jordan came up the block. Justin and I went up to my roof to try and catch some fireworks. We were able to see about 4 different sets of firework shows. The ones in the city were really far though. And then we went out on the porch and lit some sparklers that I had in the basement. The boys were already asleep and Lisa stayed inside with them.

We both took off on that Friday and took the boys to FAO and Central Park. I couldn't believe we actually went because A) the weather was ridiculously hot and B) whenever we think of something cool to do, we very rarely follow through with it. But this time, we did it! At around noon, the boys went down for their nap. Lisa managed to clean them up and change their clothes beforehand. We both got ready in an hour and were out the door and through the Lincoln Tunnel in no time. We encountered some traffic which Jericho was pretty pissed off with so of course, he starts whining and crying for like 15mins straight so I had to hold him on my lap while Lisa was driving through the traffic. As soon as we got thru the tunnel, back in his car seat he went and he was fine again. This kid gets moody sometimes. Gray of course was fast asleep. We hit up FAO first. Lisa always wanted to take them there ever since watching the BIG with Tom Hanks. So we stroll in with our monster double stroller and the attention we got in the store was unbelievable. From smiles to little compliments from strangers, these 2 boys were a hit already. I even saw a business man on the street crack a smile when we passed him. The attention is really amazing and humbling. In the store, I let Gray walk around a bit on the baby toy floor. He passes the toys and decides to of course try to pick up a sugar packet he sees on the floor. This kid is so curious! He played with some of the stuffed animals there as did Jericho. We came across the stuffed animal section and saw a stuffed dog that looked like Nikki and Ryan's dog Kyan. And we ended up buying 2 stuffed toys for them. Jericho picked out this Monkey that he loved. He kept squealing and hugging it. We immediately named the Monkey, Chubbs. And Gray picked out a bear and we named him Chuckles. I saw this cool red toy car that is shaped like a handle so it's easier for the boys to grip, so I bought that for them. I coulda done some real damage in there but I exercised restraint. After our FAO extravanganza, we walked to a local cafe/deli and bought some lunch and headed to the park to eat and relax. By this time, it was crazy humid and hot. So we stayed in the park for like 15 minutes after we ate and decided it was time to go.

Parenting is full of lessons to be learned. Our lesson here: don't take babies to the park when it's too humid out. Especially when one of them hasn't learned to walk yet hahaha

Check the pics below. 

The Boys Turn One!

Yikes I haven't written in 2 months! Things have been quite busy for us since my last post. So many changes...

Gray is walking all over the place. He loves walking back and forth talking in his baby language as if he's the boss barking orders to his minions. Little Jericho is just starting to take steps. I think in a few weeks, he and his brother will be running amuck in the house.

First up, the boys' first birthday! Their birthday was June 30 and we held their party on the 29th. For their party, we had a nice sorta small party at the same spot in Bayonne where we had their Christening called Knights of Columbus. We wanted to keep it smaller though because we didn't want to bombard the boys with 200+ people. And also we wanted it to be a kid party, not an adult party. Also a lot of family we invited couldn't make it, kind of a bummer but we had the right size crowd and were able to mingle with everyone and made sure they were all comfy and well fed.

We chose the Peanuts theme because we both love Charlie Brown and the boys have no interest in anything on TV yet so they didn't really have an opinion hahaha. Lisa ordered some cool decorations online from a teacher's supply website and we bought those awesome Snoopy Snow-cone makers from Toys R Us as prizes. The party was a hit. All the kids had a great time. We played some classic party games like Musical Chairs and Hot Potato. We had a cool pinata and also loot bags for the kids. Of course Coco and Gray didn't have a clue as to what was going on but they had a great time. They finally started to play during the last hour of the party once they got a hold of the balloons. The only misstep during the party was the cake. We had a friend of a friend make 2 cakes with Peanuts decorations on them with maybe 50-60 cupcakes. And we left them out on display near the entrance and for some reason, people thought they were dessert and started eating them after getting food. Obviously they didnt cut the cakes...Pretty annoying but hey, people are idiots hahahahaha Anyway, so we didn't get to sing happy birthday to my boys but its ok. We got to sing at the house with all of our close friends that night and we enjoyed the cake and the boys had some too. So yes after the party, our close pals came over, we ordered some chicken wings for dinner from this caterer we know in JC, Ace Catering. Fucking awesome wings and creme brulee! And we also got Torico's ice cream as per the wives request. It was such a great night and we were relieved that everything went smoothly. It might've been the last hall party we throw...Ever. 

The next day, Sunday was their actual birthday. We started it off by taking them to the mall to get their first haircuts! We buzzed off their hair because it was getting too long and we wanted it to grow back in nice and thick. Also since its summer, they would always get really sweaty and itchy from their hair and would constantly be scratching their ears and eyes. Coco was chill, very easy for the barber. Gray on the other hand was a different story. He cried and kept moving and the barber didn't really get to clean up the buzzcut. When we put them back in the stroller, I looked at both of them and saw 2 toddlers and not 2 babies. It really got me sad but also happy that we survived a full year with these 2. 

That evening, my Mom and Meera, Justin and Jordan came by and also Lisa's parents. I bought an ice-cream cake from Baskin Robbins and sang Happy Birthday to them. They really enjoyed this cake! These little guys love ice cream just like their daddy!

Babies on a Plane!

Last week was our first family trip. The destination: Los Angeles. 6 hour flight with our almost 11month old boys. Did you ever recall watching an old sitcom or cartoon when someone boards a flight or a bus and there is always a rowdy kid kicking the back of someone's seat who is trying hard to not lose his/her patience? [I was thinking of an episode of The Jetsons about "Re-crayola"..google it]. Anyway, well it turns out those cliches we were often exposed to in the 80s about little children traveling were based off some reality. Little Gray didn't give a fuck. He wanted no part in me holding him and he was letting me and the guy sitting in front of me know it. Since the boys can't walk yet, they are used to playing and crawling on the floor all day and on this flight they were a bit restless and didn't want to be held for the entire 6 hours. To make matters worse, the arm rests were locked down in place and the flight attendants were stumped as to why. So there we were with 3 seats all to ourselves and each of us holding a baby. So when it came time to take off, we gave them a bottle to make sure they were sucking on something so their ears wouldn't pop and they quickly fell asleep in our arms....like little angels...and me and lisa breathed a sigh of relief that they were actually asleep...and then....20minutes later they woke up...and were even more rowdy and amped up as before. They were awake for maybe another 3 hours. There was an old couple sitting in front of us who seemed a bit bothered with our little ones. Now they weren't throwing tantrums or anything like that. They were just doing their usual baby shtick...grunting, laughing, playing with each other...an occasional whine and 5sec cry but nothing crazy. The old woman turned to Lisa and complained about her moving her seat. Lisa wasn't having it and quickly snapped back at the rude lady. Half hour later, her and her husband changed seats. It was hilarious actually, definitely the highlight of the trip. Haha yes, we were definitely THAT family on a plane. And not only that, it seemed like a very quiet group of travelers on the plane so any noise the boys made seemed amplified and I was mortified. It was exhausting trying to hold them for so many hours and keep them content and from being loud. But it seemed like the more we tried to quiet them down, the louder they got. So finally about 4 hours pass and they're asleep finally. I dozed off for a few and suddenly woke up and didn't feel so great. I turned to Lisa and told her I felt lightheaded and about 10 seconds later, I blacked out and fainted in my seat. I was in and out. I was also holding a sleeping Jericho in my arms. Lisa called the flight attendant and told them the situation. She remained very calm but I could tell she was scared. I was terrified because I didn't want to drop Jericho and I was thinking about who would be able to help us if I really pass out. And in the middle of all this, I realized I didn't eat anything since 730am and it was now 3pm...bad news. So I put Jericho down and he woke up and started crying. Gray woke up and started crying. My lips were pale and I had a cold sweat going. The flight attendant gave me a chicken wrap and I took a few bites and felt much better. Holy shit, lesson learned. I must eat before the flight and pack snacks! Why didn't I eat when they were serving snacks you might ask? Because holding either boys while eating ANYTHING is damn near impossible. They will reach for anything in my hands and would totally make a mess. They're quick little humans you know.

In any case we made it there safely. The purpose of the trip was to just get away but also introduce the boys to a plane ride. However with parenting, I've learned that its usually about the PARENTS getting used to something new, not necessarily the children.

How was the flight back? Well as I said to Lisa when we got to LA, "It can't get any worse cuz that shit was a nightmare!"And it was a lot better. We were in the Economy Plus area so we had more leg room for our bags. We were sitting behind a mom and her kids and she pleasantly made conversation with Lisa and told her to not worry about the boys crying and she totally understands. A little boy across the aisle who was probably around 5 was playing with Gray, showing him his action figures. And a nice old couple told us we were doing a great job and the boys also did amazing [they must've been sitting WAYYY in the back hahaha]. I was also able to do some reading on the plane and watched a soothing episode of Bob Ross while the boys were napping. Something I was totally not able to do on the plane ride going there.

It was definitely quite an experience for me. One that I was happy to have gone through over a 6 hour flight than say...a 20 hour flight to the Philippines which we will be embarking on next year. Yikes!

Below are some pics of the plane ride. I was even able to snap a pic of the mean old lady haha.

Updates

I haven't written a blog in 3 months! Not good...so much has been going on that I haven't made the effort to write. Here are some important updates:

1) In February, the boys moved into their new room and began sleeping in their own cribs. HUGE step for us. We finally got our room back. The empty co-sleepers on either side of the bed started to accumulate our clean laundry that we were too lazy/unable to find time to fold. So just a few weeks ago, I broke them down and moved them into the basement. I'm a sentimental guy and I was a little sad when I was taking them down. The one on Lisa's side of the bed was put up the same day we brought the boys home from the hospital in July so I was really sad to see it go, yet happy that the boys are big enough to sleep by themselves. After all, getting Lisa to agree its time for them to move into their own room was the hardest part =)

2) In March, we celebrated Lisa's birthday in AC. Our friends joined us at our timeshare and it was really fun to get away. It was our first time traveling with the boys (first 3 hour car ride which they slept all the way through) and also their first time sleeping over in a new surrounding other than our house and their grandparents house. They both had diarrhea which totally sucked but hey, with twin babies, our getaways will never always be perfect.

3) The boys got sick many times throughout February and March and it was definitely frustrating because it seemed like they would catch another cold just 2 weeks after getting over another. Yeah yeah yeah it builds up their immunity but it gets quite stressful having 1 baby sick and then the other gets sick like 2 days later.

4) Both boys are crawling around and Gray is already standing and cruising. Jericho is almost there. Gray says "Da-Da" all the time and Jericho says "Ma-Ma"...how fitting hahaha. I'm pretty sure they both have no idea what either words mean but either of them saying "Da-Da" is freaking mindblowing. They also clap their hands whenever they're happy and also give hi-5s. Jericho has been doing a new thing lately. He goes on his knees and throws his hands up in the air as if he is praying and starts mumbling and laughing. Its quite a sight to see.

5) Gray is still a milk monster and still wakes up sometimes twice at night for a bottle and finishes every drop of it. Jericho sleeps through the night for the most part.

6) We are heading to LA with the boys on May 21-25. It will be their first plane ride so wish us luck!