Solids?!

On Saturday we decided it was time to feed the boys some rice cereal. After following the instructions for babies first cereal we discovered "solid" is a subjective term. Basically, what it amounted to was practice with a spoon.

As you can see Penn got the hang of the spoon pretty quickly. Logan on the other hand...

Well it will take alittle more practice but we are confident he will pick it up.

Black Friday

This year for Thanksgiving we were lucky enough to go to my sisters. It was the boys first overnight trip. So we packed everything up and hit the road. Our car barely held all of the boys things. The boys slept great in their pack n play. It was a little tight but it worked.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. It smelled so good we got right down to eating and forgot to take pictures of Monica's beautiful table. It was a wonderful day that reminded us of the many blessing we enjoy. Family, Country, and Religion were among the top blessings Spencer and I talked about.

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving if we didn't go shopping the day after. We wanted to share this exciting shopping day with the boys so we bundled them up and off we went at 4 in the morning.

The girls started at Target and the boys went to Home Depot. Logan and Penn slept through most of the morning but were toasty warm in their car seats. Everyone had great success and we were home by 7:30.

It wouldn't be Black Friday without the afternoon nap. The boys didn't sleep as long as we wanted to, but we take what we can get these days.

We sincerely hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Dear Uncle Mitch

Dear Uncle Mitch,

Mom still thinks camouflage is silly but says if anyone could pull it off, it's us. As you can see we are growing into the camo you got us. Thanks for the gift,

Logan and Penn

PS Mom says we have enough camo in our wardrobe!

So Funny

A funny thing happened last night, actually if you ask Penn it was hilarious. It's just a simple slurping noise but as you can see from the clip Penn thought it was great. This is Penn's first real laugh!

It's A Cover Up

Spencer has got to be one of the best dads ever. The other day he was changing Logan's diaper when I noticed he had forgotten to snap his onsie before he put on his pants. When I pointed out the mistake he simply stated "All super hero's where their unders on the outside and this is Super Logan". He proceeded to do the same thing for Penn. From then on he had the boys flying around on their stomachs. We also had to refer to the boys as Super Logan and Super Penn for the rest of the night. If I forgot he would correct me. For example .. "Look at Logan's smile" ... "Super Logan's smile" ... "O no, Penn spit up" .... "Super Penn". It was a fun evening but I think it was all just a cover for a silly mistake.

Favorite Things

Saturday we had the opportunity to return to Cache Valley for one of our most favorite things, Aggie Basketball! It was the boys first real game and as such they were dressed for the occasion. Mom must have sang the Aggie Fight Song 30 times while dressing the boys and another 50 on the way up.

The boys had a great time, although they both slept through the second half. We can't wait for the next opportunity to go to a game. The Aggies won, although it was a little rough. But this family has learned to never doubt Coach Stew, it's going to be another great year for Aggie Basketball. GO AGGIES!

Less Effective

One of the first things you learn as a parent is the effectiveness of the "Burrito" wrap. It's among the firsts things they teach you at the hospital. Newborns seem to like being wrapped up tightly. Lately the boys have discovered ways to escape our burrito wraps. The other day I hear Logan yelling from the Nursery.

"Hey ... Hey" as I approach his crib I see he has gotten his arms out. When he notices me he breaks into a huge smile as if to say. "Look how cool I am, I got my arms out!" Seconds later a frown crosses his face "It's neat and all but, I don't really like it ... FIX IT"

Penn is no different. It's not uncommon for me to find Penn with his legs free and just as unhappy about it.
I guess we'll just have to find something a little more effective.

My Wife Rocks Part Duex

My previous post discussing the grooviness of my wife focused mainly on the pregnancy experience. Know that the boy's have arrived and been here for allittle over 3 months I can officially say my wife rocks at being a Mom. In a previous post she tried to compare me with a super hero. Well, if that holds true every super hero needs a love interest. I would liken Mary Elizabeth to Cat Women, hot, sassy and capable. She isn't one of those whinny damsels like Mary Jane or Louis Lane that constantly needs rescuing.

She has an amazing amount of patience and love for Logan and Penn. I have seen the boy's deposit every possible bodily fluid all over her person and she shrugs it off. She somehow keeps two, sometimes cranky boys entertained for hours while I am at work. She makes a wicked lunch and dinner for me without fail. The list goes on and on.

I can't thank her enough for everything she does for our little family. She even likes to do yard work, what else can a guy ask for.

I Love You Honey Love!

All Grown Up

The boys just celebrated their 12th week of life. It marks 3 exciting months. Their growth to us is so subtle it doesn't seem like they've grown that much. To help us with this conundrum we've taken pictures to see how they are changing and growing. Thanks Kellie for the idea.

Penn just tipped over, thank goodness his balance has improved

Memory Lane

For those of you who know me you know I'm really not a creative - artise person. I can't draw, I don't scrapbook and I do not have an eye for interior design. As a result it may surprise you to learn that I'm an accomplished artist who's work is displayed prominently where hundreds of thousands of people see it every year.

When I was in the 1st grade Mrs. Campbell asked we draw something that made us happy for the new Primary Children's Hospital. Long story short I won a contest. My "yo-yo girl" won for the letter Y and is displayed throughout the hospital.

We had an opportunity to visit my art work when we visited Candis and Alexis at the hospital.

I'm sorry to say my ability hasn't improved. If I were to draw a yo-yo girl today it wouldn't look to much different. I may not be a creative person but I can still dribble a basketball and I can't wait to teach the boys how to drain a three.

Cuttest Niece

Introducing the cutest niece I have - Alexis Veneda Bailey. Born just last week and has already found her place in our growing family. Congratulations Candis and Joe, she is perfect!

Wonder

I think all parents find themselves wondering about their kids, esp new parents. What color will their eyes end up? What will they be when they grow up? What are they thinking when they have that funny look on their face? etc ...

When the boys were first born and the only sound they made was a cry we couldn't help but wonder what their voices would sound like. For the last month plus we've gotten a small taste. The boys have been cooing and making noises for a while but I'm just getting around to posting the clip. I think the best part is the "O" sound they each make after they sneeze. I'm not sure if all kids make that noise or if we've just taught them to do that. Lately we've caught Logan talking to himself at night. We've gotten a good laugh listening to him over the baby monitor.

We've also discovered a new game of "Follow the Leader". When we stick our tongues out they mimic us. Perhaps the most exciting things is they've begun to sleep through the night. We feed them at 10:30 pm and they sleep until 5:30 am! We get about 6 hrs of continuous sleep and love it. Not bad for 9 weeks old.

We find ourselves in complete wonder of these little bundles of goo (lots and lots of goo).

All Smiles

The old saying goes "A picture is worth a 1000 words". What do these pictures say to you?

My Superhero!

According to Wikipedia Superheros have many common attributes, such as:

1. Extraordinary abilities


2. A strong moral code (including a willingness to risk one’s own safety in the service of good without expectation of reward)


3. A distinctive costume
   

We all of Superhero's in our lives. I'm lucky enough to be married to one. You may be asking your self, what makes Spencer a superhero? He may not be able to leap a building in a single bound or have a magical lasso however he is an engineer and has the mind that goes with it. He can rig, make or riddle his way through almost anything. As far as I'm concerned that's an extraordinary ability.

On the subject of a strong moral code, there is no doubt. As an illustrative example. Once his wife had a terrible cold and was unable to properly take care of their twin boys and get better. Spencer's code dictated he run to the store late one night and get orange juice and tissues and work from home the next morning so she could get some rest and a long hot shower. All with no expectation of a reward. Without a doubt a heroic act.

Then there is the question regarding the costume. Here of late the primary theme is a polo shirt by day and spit up by night.

Spencer works long hours during the day and is amazing with the twins at night. (He even gets up with me for the 2:00 am feeding). With a crazy schedule Spencer still trys to find time to work on things around the house. Our application to finish the basement was recently approved. Spencer did such a great job with the scale plan the application was approved in less then 2 hours! (it usually takes at least a week). Plus our garage is now a two car garage cause he has been working to organize our things.

Without a doubt Spencer is a superhero and I'm lucky to be "stuck" with him for eternity.

The Games We Play

I used to have a day job but now I play games with Logan and Penn most of the day. How lucky am I?? Pretty lucky!! We stretch arms and legs, we sing songs, and enjoy time in the swing. Here are a few pictures of some of the other games we enjoy.

Tummy Time is a favorite for Mom but the boys don't enjoy it as much. This is Penn and Logan refusing to play despite Mom's best efforts. This game works their muscles so they'll be able to roll over and crawl in the coming months.

Logan and Penn enjoy playing with the puppy's their Aunt Jenny gave them. The texture of the dog is different then most of their other toys, which according to the books is good for the boys.

We just discovered this game. It's supposed to help the boys realize they have two ears and they can hear independently from each one. It also seems to work their neck muscles.

Playing games with Logan and Penn is better then any day in the office!

All Boy

We were recently on a friends blog who happened to bless their new baby girl the same day we blessed our boys. The blog features a picture of a beautiful baby girl in a pristine white lacy dress with a flower in her hair while she sleeps peacefully in the sun. It's an angelic picture.

I was hoping for a similar picture of our boys. However it would appear they have inherited their dads dislike for suites and formal occasions. Most of the 20 or so pictures I took look like these ones.


I couldn't help but make some comparisons between our blogs. I have pictures of poo on my blog, her blog includes flowers. I have two active boys who won't sit still for pictures, she has an angel. But we love our boys and wouldn't trade it. These are the only half decent pictures we were able to get.

Our little family of four. The boys received wonderful blessings. Spencer was so calm, I'm very grateful for a husband who is worthy of his priesthood. He is already an awesome Dad. We are so excited to watch our boys grow and for the crazy ride we are now on.

Potty Talk

Everybody poos, and our boys are especially good at it. There are signs that accompany such a feat. First sign - the fists of fury with a red face.

Penn working on something big

Not to be outdone Logan working on things

The second sign - Overwhelming sense of relief

Logan feeling good

Dad didn't recognize the signs and happened to be holding Penn just right that the following resulted ...

Clearly Penn feels remorse, NOT

Spenc took it like a champ and laughed the whole time. Parenthood has changed everything, even poo.

Who's the Boss?

We've had a complete government take over. It wasn't hostile and no one had to seek refuge in Switzerland. Spencer and I recognize we are no longer in charge of our lives or house. The boys decide when we sleep, when we eat and even what chores get done. For example, they dedicate my laundry schedule (they produce more laundry then previously thought possible)! The most bizarre thing, we really don't mind too much, they are just so cute (I think they know it and use that against us). Here are some additional photos to prove my point.

Logan sleeping

A guess as to what it was like in the womb.

A gift from Uncle Mitch who thinks one can never have enough camo.

Firsts

We were released from the hospital on July 30 at 6:00 pm. Since then, it's been a whirlwind of firsts.

First: Real clothes - When they say 0-3 months they don't mean newborn. They drown the boys but it's still cute.

First: First time in car seats

First: Entering the real world. I was a little nervous it's a little crazy out here

First time home. What a hot daddy!

First: Sleepers and picking on brother. Shortly after this photo we experienced our first blow out, followed by a second sleeper.

First: Bedtime! They are sharing a crib for now, as you can see there is plenty of room.

Because the boys are just so cute here are a few more photos.

Logan

Penn

When was the last time you slept so peacefully?

So many people to meet and get to know