The Playard

Every morning, after the boys eat breakfast, I leave them in their playard while I clean the kitchen.  They can't see the kitchen from the playard, which is a good thing, because if they see me then they cry for me.  For them, it's out of sight, out of mind... at least for about 15 minutes!  

However, after I finish cleaning and go back to get them, this is what I usually find!

Naughty! Naughty!

Don't let that innocent sweet face fool you!

I'd like to believe Bryce is hiding his face in shame for making such a big mess...

First Tornado Warning

Three weeks ago, on my birthday, the boys experienced their first tornado warning.  Of course, they were oblivious to what was going on... they just had fun playing in a "new room" (ie. my closet)!  Evan made me laugh when he grabbed my camera on the way to the closet and said, "We have to take pictures of their first tornado watch!"  I've obviously rubbed off on him! :)  We didn't get very good pictures, due to cramped quarters, but how could I not put this in the blog after Evan thoughtfully grabbed the camera in the middle of a tornado warning?!

Here's Benjamin banging on the closet door, while Bryce was playing in the mirror...

Then, they swapped places... looks like Ben was kissing himself in the mirror. Oh, I just noticed there's dad's foot next to Bryce :)

Labor Day Celebration at Claire and Will's House

About three weeks ago, Uncle Peter invited us over to celebrate Labor Day weekend and the start of the new school year for Claire and William.  The weather was beautiful and the boys had a great time!

We started the day by waking up daddy (on his morning to sleep in)!

Around lunch time, we headed over to Claire and Will's house...

Self portrait of daddy and Benjamin... I'm not sure why, but I think this has become one of my favorite pictures of Benjamin!

Mommy and Bryce... I steal all the kisses I can, while I still can! :)

Super groovy Benjamin...

One of these days, I'll get a picture with my boys actually looking at the camera!

I'm not sure what they're fighting over this time...

Luv Bug Bryce crawled right up to William and gave him a hug :)

Oma snuck into our picture! :)

Me and my sweet William... at least he looked at the camera with me!

While Will and I were trying to pose for the camera, this is what my boys were doing...

Let's try this again with Claire too this time...

Tickle tickle!

Two mommas with their boys...

Time for lunch!

Where's the food?

After lunch, Claire joined us for a walk around the block...

Bryce was excited that Claire was pulling the wagon...

I think my big boys were getting too heavy for cousin Claire to pull...

So, she decided walking next to the wagon would be a lot more fun... and it looks like the boys agreed!

Momma's turn to pull...

They were too heavy for me too, so daddy took over!

After our walk, we cooled off with popsicles and ice cream!  Bryce loved his popsicle...

While Benjamin much preferred the ice cream sandwich... and sticking his sticky fingers up his nose!

A chocolate covered little monkey...

And, a purple mouthed little monkey...

After popsicles and ice cream, we handed the two sticky boys to oma and opa!

First Bath & First Bath Together

Up until last week, I had always bathed the boys separately, one after the other, in their baby tub, just because it was safer since most of the time I bathed them by myself.  If I bathed them at the same time, I was afraid that I'd have to leave one alone in the tub twice... while getting the other one in and out.  And, after the bath, while I'm dressing one of them, the other one would have to be left in the pack and play naked with NO diaper on... that's just not a good thing! :)  So, needless to say, it's been a lot easier and safer to bathe them separately.   

But, one evening last week, I decided to try bathing them together in our tub, since Evan was home and I had an extra pair of hands.  Here they are... fighting over the same bath toy, of course!

They seemed to enjoy their bath together...

"Hey, dad, will you wash my back?"

And, almost 14 months ago, we were just giving them their first bath at home at eight days old... that was also the day we (finally) removed the name tags from their wrist!

I was SO scared that I woudn't be able to tell the boys apart that I had Evelyn hold each baby up before his bath so I could take pictures of their birthmarks (both of them have a series of birthmarks down their neck and back)!

I think Bryce went first...

Squeaky clean...

Then it was Ben's turn... I love this picture!  Evan gave them their first bath since I was still recovering from my c-section.

They couldn't start before I took his birthmark pictures!

It broke my heart to see him cry...

All snuggled and clean...

In the mean time, Bryce was already dressed and swaddled...

And, getting sleepy...

Sweet dreams my sweet boy...

Now it's Benjamin's turn to get dressed and swaddled...

I guess the bath must have happened in the morning, because I also found these pictures from later on that afternoon of the boys laying together...

It's already hard to remember how tiny they were...

Time for another nap!