Starting Solids...

Well, we started the boys on rice cereal this past weekend and it was a success. They both took to it quite easily and as far as MacKay was concerned we couldn't shovel it in fast enough for him. Oscar did well too, but he really likes to roll it around in his mouth and play with it before actually swallowing. We got some nice pictures of their messy little faces too (see below)... can't wait to start veggies and fruits soon.

On a bit of a bum note, the whole family has "the crud" right now. Started out with Chris who is just now getting over a bad sinus and ear infection, and this weekend it hit MacKay and me, and yesterday it hit Oscar. Amazingly the boys seem to be handling it much better than we adults. I feel like I have been hit by a bus, yet I look over at MacKay and Oscar and they are just beaming with big smiles not letting this bug get them down. MacKay seems to be on the upward swing of it, and hoping Oscar is on his way there now too. I just hate hearing that "snotty" sound in their noses, poor guys.

Grandma Chris is here right now helping out as well cuz Chris had to run down to Iowa to do some work for a couple days/nights. She's been a HUGE help considering I've been out of sorts with this cold/sinus infection... I'm so glad she was able to come up and help out for a few nights. And she was very excited to see that Oscar has now figured out how to work the horsie bouncer and is a "bouncing fool" just like his brother now. Not to mention she got to handle her first grandchild blow out with Oscar... timing couldn't have been more perfect as they were due for a bath anyway. :)

As always... some pictures.

Messy faces here. We even got the chance to use the personalized and engraved spoons for the boys that we got from Bruce and Sandy Grivna for their first feeding.

Angus has been a source of entertainment for MacKay and Oscar, and lately they are just mesmerized by him and watch him all the time, reaching out to touch him as he walks by etc. Angus is amazingly gentle with them and loves to lick their slobbery faces... tho he loves to run off with their toys as well (naughty Angus).

Five and a half months....

Well only a few new updates to share, otherwise things are pretty much the same. We just got back from a long weekend (Tuesday - Sunday) down in the cities. Daddy Chris needed to go to CA to take a surveying test so we all went down to the cities so I could have some help (Grandma Chris) while he was gone. While we were there MacKay learned how to gasp in excitement (usually while in his Galloping Fun horsie bouncer) and Oscar started the high pitched shrieking. We also practiced some more sitting up and they do pretty well at that for a while (aside from me grabbing them before they topple over) before they start folding forward like tacos. And they're really pushing up off of their chests when on their bellies. Working out those muscles they will need to start crawling all around the place and driving mommy batty. MacKay also has rolled over from his back to his stomach, so now we're just waiting for Oscar to flip from tummy to back and we'll have "rolling over" completely checked off on our list of milestones.

Grandma Chris even got them for an evening by herself while I went out with my girlfriend's to celebrate Michelle's Wifette party. It was so great seeing all my friends again - I miss you guys terribly. :) We also took the lil dudes shopping at the Carter outlet store in Albertville. MacKay was really hamming it up with the girls that worked there. What a little flirt. And we stopped by Grandma Diane's on the way back up to Brainerd for a little bit too so she could get in her fill of the boys.

As always here are some fun pictures we've taken recently

The boys sitting up.

Oscar seems to be the more sturdy of the two, although MacKay can sense when he is going to topple to the side and catches himself before he completely falls over.

MacKay enjoying the Galloping Fun Bouncer at Grandma Chris's, and Oscar made a new best friend with this blue chew toy on Grandma Chris's Exersaucer

Here are some pictures of the boys dressed up in this adorable outfit from my Aunt Sandy and Uncle Denny. Get a load out of the matching caps. I'm hoping they still fit in these for their 6 month pictures. Wouldn't these outfits (and hats) just be a hoot?

And lastly just another cute picture of our little men in some classic jean overalls (cute socks courtesy of Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Dean).

5 Months....

Well the boys are FIVE months old now. WOW. Chris took them on the scale with him the other day and according to our scale MacKay is 17.5 lbs and Oscar is 19 lbs. We've hit a few more milestones as well. Oscar had his first "blow out" a few days ago - another onesie that just could not be salvaged. MacKay figured out how to use the Horsie Bouncy that Grandma Chris got for him. He for some reason is FULL of energy after their last feeding at ~ 7pm so we have to put him in the bouncy for about 30 minutes to tire him out. He's also started shrieking, these very high pitched squeals and screams in pure amusement of himself. They both are standing assisted and can even push up from a sitting position with us just holding onto their hands. And getting much better at tummy time and pushing up with their arms, long enough for us to read them a story. We also just took our first walk around the neighborhood today. It was so nice out and they were just entertained by all there was to see outside the walls of our house.

Yesterday Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Bean (Dean) visited for the night to bring Chris his early birthday present and the boys their Easter baskets since we couldn't make it to Easter with them this year. Which was a huge bummer cuz they got all the grandkids Bunny Ears to wear and that would have been quite the picture. Tho we did put them on them and get a few fun shots.

Next weekend we head down to the cities again to put Daddy Chris on a plane to CA where he is taking a test to be licensed to do surveying there. We'll be staying with Grandma Chris (who just informed me she got another "Horsie Bouncer" to have at HER house - that woman keeps Babies R Us and Toys R Us in business I swear) and she's going to have her first night alone with them while Mommy goes out with her friends to celebrate Michelle's "wifette" party. That should be interesting :) And another two weeks after that (the 26th) we head back down to the cities to have the boys' SIX month pictures taken with Mandy Birdwell again. Hoping they have learned how to sit up a bit better by then.

Well as always here are some more pictures of the boys:

The boys with Gma Bonnie and Gpa Bean (Dean) and their Bunny Ears

Oscar in his Exersaucer and MacKay in his Horsie Bouncer

Just some cute miscellaneious pictures. The sleepers they are wearing on their tummy picture are from their Aunt Dani and family (Chris, Tyler, Rachel, Keonata and Devin)

And as always, some pictures of the boys in outfits/gifts from friends and family. These striped hoodie outfits were from Gpa Bean (Dean) and Gma Bonnie for Xmas.

And here the boys are with their treasured Taggie Blankets from the Gohman family. Jon Gohman is a coworker/friend of mine from Thrivent that I still keep in touch with (and miss terribly) and he swore by these. THANK YOU GOHMAN, cuz the boys love them and won't go down for a nap without them. We also have some other Taggie Blankets from the Nepotes and from Ellie and Heidi. So even when they might need laundering, the boys will always have a nice clean Taggie to cuddle up with.