Camera Happy

We bought a new SLR digital camera and I have been a tad bit "camera happy" trying to figure out how to use it. 

7 Months and almost mobile

Mason and Madaline are discovering new things every single day and really love to play with each other now.  Mason has become quite the jokester, he stares at  Maddie until she makes eye contact and then proceeds to make funny noises or act silly in effort to make her laugh.  Along with this new found joy in playing "together" comes  toy stealing, throwing, jealousy, and trying to move around on their own.

Maddie is right on the verge of crawing...  She has figured out how to scoot, turn, or roll in order to get places and she even gets up on all fours and tries to move.  Its only a matter of time before she figures it out and takes off crawling!  Mason however, doesnt seem to be as interested in being mobile.  Im sure once Maddie figures it out, he will be soon to follow.  (right on que with the doctors prediction- she told us in our last visit that girls tend to do everything a little sooner than boys do) So once Maddie steals his toy and takes off crawling with it Im sure he will become interested in figuring out how to chase after her.    As for now, the outlet plugs, drawer locks, and gates are all going up this weekend and I am going to enjoy the next few weeks/days of babies that I dont have to chase all over the house.

This is a sequence of photos from them playing together and then a short video that I found funny.

On another note:  Ryan and I finally traded in the car and got a "family vehicle" that we can actually all fit in. 

2004 Buick Rendezvous

This is technically an SUV (but handles like a minivan)gets great gas milage, has a third row and tons of extra space.  Not to mention, Ryans legs arent pressed up against the dash when he drives now.

And to go along with the new vehicle, the babies have moved into the next size (big kid) car seats.  They really are growing up too fast!!

Just a few more recent pictures...

Sick Babies...

I have done just about everything I could think of this cold/flu season to keep the germs at bay and prevent Mason and Maddie from catching anything.  After gallons of hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, lysol spray, and hand washing to the point where my hands feel almost raw...a virus has still managed to wiggle its way in and get BOTH of my babies sick. (THREE if you count Ryan)

It started out as what seemed to be just a little cold.  Maddie had a tiny cough and Mason kept sneezing.  No fever and no change in behavior so I figured we were in the clear.  After a few days, Maddies cough quickly turned into something more.  And sure enough, a few days after that Mason was just as sick.  After a total of three doctors visits and a very long week, we have a virus! (and ear infections) Antibiotics, steriods, tylenol, pushing small amounts of fluid often, and breathing treatments every four hours was the order. 

Now here we are a few days later and both Mason and Maddie are slowly getting better.  They seem to be over the worst of it and left with a little bit of a cough and a very congested/snotty nose.  (If only they knew how to blow their nose or hauk a lougie.) And now that the babies are getting better, Ryan is getting sick.  Im hoping that this week will be more restful and less eventful than last.