Ricky Martin shows off adorable photos of his 1-year-old twins, Matteo and Valentino, on his Web site.

The father plays with his sons in the sand in a few of the shots. The boys pose on a toy train in another.

The “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer welcomed his sons via a surrogate in August 2008.”Ricky is elated to begin this new chapter in his life as a parent and will be spending the remainder of the year out of the public spotlight in order to spend time with his children,” A rep for the 37-year-old — who does not have a nanny — said then.

Christina Aguilera told Usmagazine.com the Grammy Award winner is a “proud papa” a few days after he announced the birth.

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Ricky Martin shops for the twins at Babies R Us where he and firendn picked up some things for his baby twins. Ricky also hit up Starbucks, where he grabbed a coffee and joked with photographers.

Let’s take a moment to discuss his outfit here.  Shorts – over sweats – with matching Uggs?  What the crap.

Splash

Born via surrogate in early August, Ricky Martin’s 4-month-old twin boys make their debut in this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

A joyful Martin, 36, spoke candidly with PEOPLE at home in Puerto Rico about his desire to be a parent, the decision seek the help of a surrogate and juggling caring for twins – he has no nanny!

PEOPLE: Describe this time in your life
MARTIN: I’m so happy! Everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing. Being a father feels amazing. This has been the most spiritual moment in my life.

How hands-on are you as a father?
I don’t have a nanny. I’m doing this on my own because I don’t want to miss a moment. I have a personal assistant who helps me, someone who takes care of me while I’m taking care of them, but I’m the one who changes the diapers, the one that feeds them, the one that bathes them, the one that puts them to sleep. For any parent, the first couple of months tend to get a little bit intense.

Why did you choose to become a parent via surrogate?
Adoption was one option, but it’s complicated and can take a long time. Surrogacy was an intriguing and faster option. I thought, ‘I’m going to jump into this with no fear.’

Tell us about Valetino’s and Matteo’s personalities.
Valentino loves to sleep. I call him ‘Mr. Peace and Love’ because he’s so chill and serene. Matteo is more alert and active. He was up at 3 a.m. the other night and just hanging!

What is your philosophy on raising your sons?
I love to read books to my sons and tell them stories. I play music for them so they develop their own personalities. I want to give them information and raise them with honesty and love, and give them self-esteem and a lot of acceptance.

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Pop star Ricky Martin has adopted twin boys, born to a surrogate mother.

Martin, 36, who is currently single, plans to take a long break from showbusiness to raise the kids. In a statement, the Livin’ La Vida Loca singer-turned-humanitarian’s spokesperson says, “The children, delivered via gestational surrogacy, are healthy and already under Ricky’s full-time care.

“Ricky is elated to begin this new chapter in his life as a parent and will be spending the remainder of the year out of the public spotlight in order to spend time with his children.”

Martin joins the ranks of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and fellow Puerto Ricans Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, who also became parents of twins this year.

WENN

Puerto Rican pop star Ricky Martin hit the streets of Washington D.C. earlier this week to raise awareness for his anti-trafficking hotline.

Through his own Ricky Martin Foundation, the UNICEF goodwill ambassador has launched the Llama y Vive campaign, or Call and Live, a toll-free hotline that provides services for victims of trafficking and exploitation.

The initiative aims to reach 100,000 Latinos in the U.S. capital with prevention messages, and give legal advice to victims through the Spanish-language telephone line.

Call and Live has already been implemented in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Peru and Nicaragua, where it has received more than 55,000 calls, triggered 60 police investigations and the rescue of at least a dozen victims. It is now set to expand to five more Latin countries.

Martin, 36, says, “Once you have all this information, if you do nothing, it’s like allowing it to happen.”

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WENN

Latin heartthrob Ricky Martin is facing fresh speculation over his sexuality after his good friend and skin care specialist Ole Henriksen ‘outed’ the star in a recent magazine interview.

Henriksen was being interviewed by gay Swedish magazine Salonk when he made the comment about Livin’ La Vida Loca’s sexual preference.

He’s quoted as saying, “He (Martin) is a bit more open about it (his homosexuality) these days than he used to be… I don’t know if he has a boyfriend.”

And when asked who he’d choose to spend a romantic holiday with, Henriksen replied, “I’d go for Stig Tofting (ex Danish soccer player), but since he’s straight, I’d say my client Ricky Martin.”