“They look great!” the doctor said during our first ultrasound.

Javi and I looked at each other and simultaneously exclaimed “THEY!?“

SURPRISE!

We’re having twins

Now that we’re over the initial shock, Javi and I are thrilled to be having twins—and a boy and girl no less! The only people who might be even more excited than us are the future grandparents-to-be, who have already started providing abundant amounts of unsolicited advice and opinions. 😜

Are the twins identical?

No, the twins are fraternal. They’re both perfectly happy in their respective amniotic sacs and although they’re twins, they each come from a different fertilized egg. We expect they’ll look similar (as most siblings do) and can’t wait to see which of our features each one has as they grow! Personally I’m hoping they get Javi’s beautiful skin and eye color, but my Shoaf smile and Shropshire nose!

When are the babies due?

Based on their development the doctor confirmed their estimated delivery date is September 9, 2020. However, it’s very rare for twins to be carried to full term so we expect the babies to make their appearance 1 to 3 weeks earlier.

Where will the babies be born?

We’re using Spanish public healthcare for the care and delivery of the twins. The babies will be delivered in Jerez de la Frontera, just a 20 minute drive from our home. My parents are planning to come to Spain in mid-August—fingers crossed Spain’s borders are open to the US by then!

Do you have a gift registry?

Yes! We have a registry on Amazon Spain so gifts can be sent directly to our home (please note Amazon US gift cards can’t be used in Spain). The Amazon registry is in Spanish so we’ve created a PayPal Pool for family and friends in the States just in case—any contributions to the PayPal Pool will go towards items on the registry, additional baby supplies, and decorating the nursery.

Have you chosen names yet?

That’s the million dollar question! Our challenge is to choose names that work in both English and Spanish so all family members can pronounce them correctly. Currently, our front-runners are Leo for the boy (pronounced Lay-oh) and Noa for the girl (pronounced No-ah). That being said, we’ll wait until the day they’re born to confirm their names. Fun fact, because wives don’t take their husband’s surname in Spain our children will keep Shoaf as their last name.

 

We hope our news brightens your day. Thanks for thinking of us and take care!

—*Hugs*—

Javi, Kate & Pumba 🐾