First of all we’d like to thank everyone that came to the party.  We appreciate their attendance and their very generous gifts.  Nothing makes them more happy than new toys and lots of clothes.

This was one of the few times they have skipped two naps lol.  Since it was their big day, they were entitled to it.  We started the party about 2PM and friends and family trickled in.  We served barbecue short ribs, teriyaki chicken, marinated tri-tip and all the usual side dishes.  We basically made everything ourselves compared to the catering that we normally arrange.

We didn’t have any kids games cause they were pretty busy being entertained by everyone else.  It was a temporary relief for us, but it was still hard work being hosts.  We don’t hold too many parties so we are still inexperienced in knowing how to entertain people.

Jasmine and Justice had a great time playing with our neighbor Robert who is about a year older.  Justice tries to talk to him, but he can only gesture with his hands and screams when he is excited.  Jasmine is pretty independent since she is still mastering her walking skills.

We broadcasted the party on the internet using Livestream.  This gave our other friends access to the party.  You can access the link to see an archive of the party.  We also have it here on Nispiros Portal as a widget on the sidebar.

We sang ‘Happy Birthday’, opened gifts, then basically wined down until all the guests left.  It was a good day.  We are thinking for next year we will celebrate their birthday outside the home like at the park or some other fun place.  They will be more mobile and hopefully will be talking by then.

For now here are some pictures and videos from the party.  All the photos are in their birthday gallery.

In my previous post I talked about Justice’s eczema.  Through this whole experience we had to change our routine.  The end result is that Justice is now more comfortable.  He’s more comfortable during the day and more restful during the night.

What’s new to this mix is that lately Justice has been turning over onto his stomach.  We’ve been worried that he might suffocate himself so we have removed most blankets and other threats from his crib.  This week alone I woke up in worry and had to see how he was during through the night.  To help with my worries I loosened his swaddle before going to sleep so he could later escape from it and use his arms to prop himself up when he turns down.  This seemed to work.

Jasmine has a little more work to do in this area.  She still gets up at night, but because she is breast feed, Ebru is right there to comfort her as needed.  She fortunately does not have eczema like Justice.  Jasmine also still have some trouble sleeping during the day.  Somehow she doesn’t like the dark if it is not night time.  Even while driving, if I pass under a overpass, she will kinda freak out and open her eyes wider as if that will make it brighter lol.

Feeding time has been interesting.  Now that I have been home because of my foot surgery, I have been able to observe their eating habits more consistently.  What is new here is that we have been introducing them to the next stage of food, which is dinner baby food.  This would be stuff like sweet potato and turkey,  vegetables and chicken, or turkey and rice.  For the most part, Justice eats the new baby food without too much of a fight.  For this we are very happy.  It is what we expected when they were at 6 months.  Hopefully, this will continue when I go back to work on Monday.

Jasmine on the other hand is tight lipped.  If she doesn’t like the flavor of the food, she won’t open her mouth.  No matter if we try to make her laugh, she will laugh and smile, but with her mouth closed.  We have to prey her mouth open with the spoon.  She is very smart in this regard.  She definitely won’t do something she doesn’t want to do.  I hope it’s a trait she’ll carry on through adulthood.

All we have to say is thank God for Baby Einstein and all the different baby jumper toy makers out there.  Without these devices, we would not be half as sane as we are today.  Since Justice and Jasmine have been able to sit up, they can now watch videos or sit on the floor and play.  We’ve been wanting this for awhile now.  It’s still not perfect, but at this stage we will take 5 minutes more than what we had before which was nothing.  I guess we’ll have to take baby steps before we can get to 1/2 hour without any crying or complaining.  The thing about both of them is that when they see Ebru they both cry.  Not in a bad way, but in a ‘hey pick me up’ way.  We’ll  have to work on breaking that dependency.

With all these new changes and with the improved weather, we have been able to go out and get a breath of fresh air.  They both still love going outdoors, especially Justice.  He loves to people watch.  Jasmine can go either way.  She requires more entertaining on our part, which is not a problem.  She’s our little princess (and our prince).

Here they are at our recent outings.

Before Jasmine and Justice were born I read most of the popular baby books, but none of them prepared me for what has happened in this short period.  There are just some things I wish I knew before having Jasmine and Justice:

• Physical preparedness – What the hell was I thinking about having kids at my age! As of Justice’s last examination on Saturday, he now weights over 14lbs.  Can you imaging having to lug around 14lbs around the house for hours on end?  You have to be physically fit to have kids.   There are no breaks with twins.  You put one down and have to pick up another. You need to do a lot of squats, pull ups, and curls.  The books should have talked about what exercises to do in preparation for their care.
• Patience – WTF! I thought I had patience before the kids, but having twins wears down your patience to nothing!  The books should have said, when you have kids be prepared to wait for hours on end before they go to sleep.  Be ready to stare at the clock that never seems to change.  Be prepared to have your patience tried and tried over again until you’re ready to keel over.  That’s what the books should have said.
• Tolerance – The books should have said invest in ear plugs.  When you have two crying babies screaming their heads off you have to be tolerant of it and be understanding of their needs.  Never mind that they are tearing out your soul.  When one or both of them are sick be prepared for erratic behavior, moodiness, and 10x more fussiness.  That’s what the books should have said.

The books should have said, when you have twins and no support from family or friends, then be prepared for the worse.  Remember you are only one person with two arms caring for two little people.  You can not be at two places at once.  You can not try to put one asleep while the other is screaming their head off!  This is just impossible and be prepared to manage two crying babies.

Having twins and trying to put them to sleep is like being on a plane from hell.  You have to sleep, eat, and watch TV in an upright position while rocking a baby.  All the while you have the noise from passengers around you, other screaming babies, and no service from the stewardess.  Imagine this night after night.  Most times we can’t even take a shower, use the bathroom for basic necessities, or even get a drink of water for God’s sake!  No service, no time.

The books should have also said, as parents of twins you will have no time for nothing else.  You won’t have time to clean your house, pay your bills, and care for yourself.  You should have saved your money for maid service, created automatic bill pay, and had a simple lifestyle to begin with.  We did none of these things.

Be prepared to have your faith tested.  This is a big one for us.  The books should have said, if you have any faith all, be prepared to have it tested over and over again.  You may ask for help everyday and you will get no response from your God.  You might ask to your God to watch over your kids from harm, evil, and danger, yet something will still happen to them against your will.  You might ask that they sleep through the night so you will have the energy to care for them only to find that your sleep will  be cut short night after night.  You might ask for the simplest thing such as 5 minutes of peace only to find that peace filled with cries and constant wanting.

Finally the books should have said caring for multiples is not going to be fun the first 5 1/2 months.  You will be drained of every resource and you will not be totally happy with your new lifestyle.  You will have many many many sleepless nights and it will effect your mental, physical, and emotional health.  Do all that you can do ahead of time so when you do have these kids you can concentrate on just caring for them and nothing else, not even your own well being.  Invest in baby videos and bouncing toys to try to keep them entertained.  You might have a chance to eat your left over breakfast from the day before while they are busy watching and playing.  There should be an honest straight forward baby/parenting book like this for parents of multiples.

We had a tough 3 day weekend this week.  Justice has the cold and we’re trying to buffer Jasmine away from him as much as we can.  Ebru has caught his cold and I’m trying my best not to get it. I’m sure the cold will make its rounds and I’m trying to delay it until at least Justice gets better.

Here is Jasmine and Justice at the Kaiser office.  Justice had a major running nose and a cough.  Unfortunately, he is too young for any medication.  We invested in a humidifier to help with his sneezing and coughing.  Poor little guy.

This whole parent thing is underrated.  For us it means:

• Unpredictable sleeping schedules – although they have been sleeping a little longer, we still need or would like at least 8 hours of sleep.  Right now they sleep 3-5 hours straight.  Last weekend was a treat, Justice slept about 8 hours.  We’d like to see more of that on a consistent basis.
• Buffering them from each other – this is one of the most challenging things of taking care of multiples.  When one cries, it is hard to buffer one from the other.  Try feeding one baby who is crying while another is trying to sleep. I tried this many times and it’s not easy.  You also have to be physically strong to manage two babies on you at the same time.
• Managing solicitors and pets – there is never a good time for solicitors.  Whether it be the UPS person or a Jehovah Witness,  ringing our door bell is not recommended.  Minik and Candy are terrors when it comes to door bell rings or knocks on the door.  They bark their head off like someone is strangling them. Of course, that wakes up Jasmine and Justice and that is never fun.  Then the whole putting to sleep process starts all over over, which could take hours.
• Crash diet – with two infants to manage, we actually do not have time to cook and clean like we used to.  We have resorted to take out food.  This is not the healthiest or most economical idea, but it sure is the fastest.  If we do get a chance to eat together, it’s no more than 10 minutes.  If have to eat in a hurry to get to the first baby that cries.  I’m sure this is not healthy for us.
• Coordinating appointments – no longer do have the luxury of scheduling personal appointments at the same time.  One of us has to be with them at all times.  We can’t just let them be.  They need constant attention when they are awake.  They are not like our Minik and Candy where we could leave them alone with just the TV on and a bowl of water.  At least not yet.
• Thinking ahead – when most people just go to sleep, we have to think about the next day.  We prepare bottles of formula and breast milk, make sure all towels, and clothes are washed, dishes and everything put away, because we know that tomorrow is another long day.  We can’t just run out the door even to go to Target or the grocery store.  Every thing is planned in advance

However, at the end of the day we have something to show for our efforts of parenthood.  We hope our sacrifices and labor of love pays off in the end.  We know we’re blessed, we’re just too tired to feel it right now.

Here they are at 2 months old. Sorry that the video was uploaded sideways.

Morning!

Mom delivered them at 38 weeks and one day.  Everyone is back home safe and sound.  As ever parent knows the fun begins!  The sleepless nights and lifetime commitment of their children.

As I stated in one of my first posts when I started this blog, I was going to divulge a purpose of this site.  Now that our children are born I can finally say that the primary purpose was for them.  If you are one of my readers, you will know that I have often posted ‘Nispiros Lessons‘.   These family lessons are for Jasmine and Justice.  It is my way to leave something tangible behind.  Everyone has their time and God forbid that something should happen to me before I could pass on these family lessons.

If something should happen to me, then my children could always come here and look for some guidance and words of advice.  Maybe they will have a glimpse of what was in dad’s mind at the time of their postings.  On a brighter side, I will continue to post news and information around us.  Family photos will continue to be posted on our family site, R Playground.com.

Without further delay I introduce Almina Jasmine and Evren Justice Nispiros!

Jasmine and Justice

Willie Mays

If there is anyone who loved baseball in our family, it was my grandmother (Lola), RIP.  She loved it with a passion!  She didn’t miss a single game that I could remember.  You’d think my grandfather (Lolo) would like the game more just because he’s a guy, but he didn’t.  He still loved the game, he just wasn’t as passionate as Lola.

Believe it or not, when I lived with my grandparents we didn’t even have a TV.  We listened to the baseball game through an old fashion radio the size of love sofa.  It was a gorgeous radio with a sliding front cover, lighted dials, built in speakers, and good quality wood.  God forbid if that radio ever broke down during a game.

If we were driving somewhere she’d tune in to the ball game.  Lolo was wise enough to drive cause of Lola drove, she’d probably get into an accident just because she was so focused on the game.

When we finally got one of those furniture looking TV sets it made the game even more exciting for her.  She could see her favorite players in action, in color, and in surround sound.  The team she rooted for was the San Francisco Giants.  One of her favorite players was Willie Mays.

I still remember the excitement I’d hear when someone would make a home run or the disgust if someone made an error.  She’d shout, she’d scream, she’d be umpiring right in front of the TV, lol.  She knew more about baseball than anyone I knew and she had a passion for it.  She never played, at least not that I know of.  I’m sure she would have made a great coach though.

If there is anything I learned from Lola is that you’ve got to be passionate about something.  What’s your passion?

See the rest of our Nispiros Portal Lessons.

Belly Dancer

Since we moved to Sacramento we have been keeping our eyes and ears open for any restaurant serving authentic Turkish food or at least food from the Turkey regions.  Our search has finally ended!  Anatolian Table is the place to go for authentic, fresh, and great tasting Turkish food.

Anatolian Table was opened about 16 months ago and is found in a strip mall area off of highway 65.  Don’t let the image of a strip mall cloud your judgement about this place.  The decor is rich in Turkish culture and there is lively music for anyone missing ‘home’.

If you go, which we highly recommend, then go on a Saturday and make reservations before hand.  If you get there by 7PM, then you will make it just in time for the entertainment.  A belly dancer will forget that you’re in Rocklin, CA.  Don’t forget to tip her for an extra shake.

It was our first time at Anatolian Table and lucky for us we were served by the owner.  He made some great recommendations, gave us some background about his restaurant, and of course invited us back to try their other dishes.

Here’s what we had:

• Appetizer – Arnavut Cigeri (Fried Liver)
• Ebru’s Dinner – Iskender – Doner kebab served over Turkish bread and topped with house sauce yogart
• My Dinner – Levrek (Sea Bass) – Whole Brazen from the Eagan Sea
• Side Dish – Lahmacun – Grounded meat blended with peppers, onions, tomatoes, herbs on a very thin crusted dough
• Ebru’s Dessert – Kunefe – Shredded fillo dough filled with unsalted cheese, baked and topped with house syrup
• My Dessert – Kream Karamel (Cream Caramel) Egg yolk, milk, sugar cooked in the oven
• My Drink – Turkish Coffee – Traditional Turkish Coffee

It looks like a lot and it is.  We were rolling out there, but we had smiles on our faces from the great eating experience at Anatolian Table.

On a side note the owner says that the Sea Bass was just received that day.  Normally the fish comes in and they marinate and freeze it, but today they didn’t have the time to do that because people order it so quickly, they didn’t need to freeze them.  I’m glad they didn’t because it was one of the best tasting Sea Bass I’ve had in a very long time.

There’s no doubt that we’ll be back.  Hope to see you there!
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Anatolian Table
6815 Lonetree Blvd., Suite 105
Rocklin, CA. 95765
(916) 772-3020

Mom

In fact, she wouldn’t say the actual words at all.  She would, however, show it in her actions.

When I was hungry, she fed me.  When I was sick, she cared for me.  When she felt I was loosing my common sense, she brought me back to reality.  She did everything short of saying ‘those’ words.

Funny thing is, I really didn’t need to hear it.  As a son I could feel my mom’s love and that’s all that mattered.  Of course I didn’t realize until later just how much she really did love me.  The sacrifices she made, the money she gave me for useless items, the vacations she postponed all because of me.

As a teen I guess I was ungrateful because my mom was old school.  But now that I think of it, that’s all she knew.  Her parents died in a car crash when she was young and she had to live with my grandmother (Lola, as we call her).   I know it wasn’t easy.

Poor mom was thrown into an environment that wasn’t her choice.  At times she felt more like a maid than part of her new family.  With barely a high school education it’s no wonder she didn’t know how to parent me in the way that we know about parenting today.

My Lola, God bless her soul, was a good person.  Strict, but good with good intentions.  I learned a lot from her as well growing up.  I’m sure the lessons she bestowed on my mom were life lessons.

Mom learned from the school of hard knocks and so what I learned from her is that a mom’s love is unconditional.   If she were here she’d say:

“I don’t have to tell you I love you, you should already know because I’m your mom.”

Thanks for the hard lessons Mom, RIP.   My ears are wide open this time.  I love you too.

See the rest of our Nispiros Portal Lessons.

Common Sense

Dad

I remember growing up and hearing him say, ‘use your common sense’.  At 5 years old I wasn’t sure what that was, but I guess it was something important cause he kept on saying it.  He said it to me and he said it to my brother, but more to my brother lol.

Now that I’m older than 5, my dad’s advice echos in my everyday life.  I use it for everything.  Common sense leads my thoughts.  For example, at the grocery store common sense tells me I should let the person behind me with 2 items because I have 20 items and it will take longer for me to check out.

At home I should put things back where I got them so other people can find them later.  When I take the bus to work I should always give up my seat to older people, handicap, pregnant women, and anyone else who looked like they needed a seat.

It was common sense.  It was also an unselfish way to live my life.  Having common sense made me more sensitive to people’s intentions.  It’s a lesson I hope to pass on some day.  Thanks Dad!