Nana's new doo

Easton officially graduated from wearing newborn diapers up to size "1" diapers and that's progress. Kendra went to run errands and Easton soaked through his outfit and blanket... twice... So Nana had enough of that and her solution to move him up in diaper size was exactly what he needed. Thank God for Nana being here, otherwise Easton would be soaking through everything for the next two weeks until we met with the pediatrician to have her tell us to put him into a bigger diaper. I was running around looking for the camera to capture the historic moment, but didn't find it in time. not that it was picture worthy, but we like to celebrate the little things because right now that's all we have!

Anyway, here is Nana, our hero of the day, sporting her new hair cut. Kendra set up an appointment with her normal hair stylist and Nana appears to really like the cut. Also, it was good for her to get out of the house for a while to keep her sanity. Easton has socks on his hands because he has a rash on his face and tends to make it worse by rubbing it without the socks there. We hope to take the socks off before he turns 5 years old. just kidding...

Some people will see this next picture and think, "oh my goodness, taking care of twins must be SO difficult". Well guess what: These are our first two babies and we don't know any different, so ignorance is bliss for us! :) Yes, it is hard. probably harder than a single baby, but we only get to do this once so we are enjoying every moment of it. She looks happy, right? yes, she and I are extremely tired, but still... it is possible to be happy and tired at the same time. This is my favorite picture in the last few weeks and I'll print this off for my office:

Aunti Mary came over this evening and we all enjoyed BBQ grilled salmon on the back patio. Nana and Aunti had some time to chat and hang out while Kendra and I went for a run after dinner. she roller bladed and I was pounding the pavement with my running shoes and shorts on. We need to take advantage of the situation where they were able to take care of the twins while we went out for our stroll alone. It was fun to get the blood pumping and spend time talking as we rolled and ran down the street.

I was told this by a co-worker friend and it really is TRUE: When you have kids, the days crawl by and years fly by. I can see exactly that when i look back on today being so long and tiring and then thinking Layla and Easton will be 7 weeks old tomorrow!

Good night all

Reclaiming the bed

Happy hump day everyone,

For the past 6 weeks our king size bed has been noticeably sardine-like. The babies slept between us on their little foam incline beds with foam bumpers to keep them from rolling around. Kendra and I sleep on the two edges and Kendra would sit up with her double nursing pillow and feed them every few hours.

Every night since we've been married I slide my foot over to her side and rub her foot before saying, "good night". For the past few weeks I've had to really stretch my leg across the bed and try not to wake up the babies. I'm happy to say we made it through some stage of the newborn process and now both babies sleep next to Kendra in their pack-n-play crib. Our bed finally feels spacious again and we can actually cuddle and sleep close together.

Aunti Mary came by yesterday afternoon and spent some time chatting with us and holding the twins. It was good to have her back in town and help is always welcomed at our house!

I'm overwhelmed with work today so I can't post much, but expect this afternoon things might slow down enough to take a short break and add some content. Here are a couple of good pics of our growing babies. Layla loves bath time and Easton has a little scratch on his nose from his own hands flailing around.

The most exciting part of our day was...

It was Easter Sunday yesterday and my apologies for not posting. I received a reprimand for slacking on the job here at the 4webbs blog…

Happy late Easter to everyone! The most exciting part of our day was… (drum roll)… Bath time for the twins! Yeah, I know. Not much of a thrill, huh. However, Layla looks like such a sweet little princess that I had to capture it on video:

At the same general time as "bath time", Nana was holding Easton and he gave his best Elvis impersonation. Too bad it was only a still shot instead of video or you would have heard Easton say, "thank you very much" in the typical Elvis voice.

The nights have been a little rough around here at casa de Webb and 2 hours of sleep is just not enough to get us out the door for church. We zombied around the house all day in search of coffee like a parched man in the middle of the desert looking for water. I saw a mirage of a Starbucks on the horizon of my living room and it was shimmering with white chocolate latte. Nana was pure salvation for our sanity and I’m even more indebted to her for sharing the load of getting through these first few months (as if raising me wasn’t enough to make me an indentured servant until I’m 50).

We went to the pediatrician today because Layla’s bowels aren’t working and her lack of sleep is driving us ragged. The Dr. said Layla and Easton are both VERY healthy and doing great (Easton = 9 lbs. and Layla = 8 lbs.). That was all good news, but I stuttered around and said, “uh, well, what does that mean for us and our lack of sleep because they never sleep?” She told us (in a nice way) to suck it up and stop whining. So that was $40 NOT well spent...  The good advice we took away was to give them a little Karo Syrup and get things moving along internally.

This afternoon my friend David, from our men’s accountability group, and his wife Judy came by to say hello and chat for a bit. We appreciated them stopping by and sharing some time with us. I’ve wanted Kendra to meet them for a while and hope we can all get together soon with all of the families.

Oma, Opa, and GG... We miss you already!

Today was fun and sad for all of us. We said, "goodbye" to Kendra's parents and Grandmother as they drove back to California this morning. It was hard to pry little Layla from Oma's hands, but we know they'll be back soon. All of us miss them already. Here is a good picture of Opa holding Easton, who has socks on his hands to keep him from scratching his face. It really looks like he's giving himself a right-hook though, doesn't it?

Another good picture is this one that shows GG loving and soothing Layla. GG needs to visit more often! When she was around I kept whispering to Easton and Layla, "cute and cuddly, guys. Cute.... and... cuddly" so GG couldn't resist the urge to visit again soon.

Layla had her first laugh today! unfortunately, it wasn't while looking at the funny faces we make or hearing the silly songs Nana sings... She was dreaming. We were all driving to the mall today and while on the road Layla broke out in laughter. Nana looked over and she was sound asleep. We were happy to hear her giggles none the less.

Kendra and Nana went to get a pedicure and left me with the twins... alone... Easton drooled on himself as he slept the entire time they were gone. Layla, however, didn't do so well. I changed her, swaddled her, walked around with her, shussssshed her, and every other Ace-in-the-hole I could think of. Apparently she was hungry, but I didn't figure that out at the time. I've decided there is no stronger force in the universe than a babies mouth resisting a pacifier. I tried so hard to get it in her mouth thinking it would calm her, but it was like playing pool with a rope. To add insult to injury, when she finally loosened up and i was able to get the rubber thing in her mouth, it didn't do a thing to calm her down. Eventually Kendra and Nana returned home and 2 seconds after Layla started feeding, the storm was over. just like that. it was amazing... No, it was miraculous.

Anyway, lesson learned and I'm prepare for the next solo-flight to have a new weapon in my arsenal: mother's milk in a bottle!

Good night, see you tomorrow for an Easter update and dressed up pictures of us all.

Layla's dance

Well, the party at the Webb house is almost over now that GG, Opa, and Oma are leaving to drive back to California tomorrow. Having the three of them around was tons of fun and I know the twins enjoyed their love and interest. None of us, including Nana, are ready for them to leave, but i'm sure we'll see them back again soon. Hopefully sooner than June (hint, hint).

Kendra amused us today by turning a ho-hum burp session with Layla into her own little dance. I decided that was just too funny to be captured in still photos so here it is in video:

Our little girl kitty, Sugar, is dainty and sweet. For some reason though she feels the need to ignore the fresh bowl of filtered water we have for the kitties and instead drinks from the bath tub, the pool, and even the toilet if we forget to put the lid down. Not that this has anything to do with the twins, but the kitties will be considered "theirs" once Layla or Easton is old enough to say, "mine!" I caught her outside drinking from pool, which she considers her personal water bowl.

We grilled BBQ chicken and had dinner on the back porch again this evening to enjoy what Kendra called "the last supper" because her parents and GG are leaving. :( I'll close the blog (and go to bed) with one of the best Burgess pictures with the twins. I am completely happy they are the grandparents of our babies and look forward to having them be a part of Layla and Easton's life in a meaningful way. Their presence and help will be desperately missed!

Good night and have a great weekend.

Four generations of ladies

Happy Friday to everyone!

I didn't get a chance to blog last night since things were so busy for work during the day and then home in the evening so I thought I'll get a post in this morning.

Yesterday we took time during lunch to get some everyone dressed up and snap a few pictures. In particular we wanted one of Layla, Kendra, Ginny, and Ellie (a.k.a. peanut, mommy, Oma, and GG respectively) while we have everyone at the same place at the same time. I think it turned out perfect and they have such great smiles.

We went out for pizza last night with the whole family and then watched NCAA basketball while passing the twins around the room between all of us. Layla and Easton are certainly not going without affection and I am very glad to have them be held so consistently. Everything I've read says you should hold the babies as much and often as possible for the first couple of months instead of letting them sit alone and cry their way through it to sooth themselves. That'll start in a couple of weeks so we don't create leeches that require holding 24X7 until they are 18 years old.

Anyway, a few of us went across the street to my Aunt Mary's house to simmer in her hot tub under the full moon. It was a great way to end the day because I collapsed into bed and was asleep before my blanket deflated from fluffing it as I eased in quietly next to Easton.

There were several good pics taken during yesterday's photo shoot so i'll space them out over the weekend, but here's a great one of Nana and I with the babies.

Kendra's OB report

The big news of the day is that Kendra was cleared to resume "normal" activities by the OB. She said Kendra is healing really well and needs to "ease back into activities". Kendra's first response when I asked her how it went was, "let's go roller blading! Please, Please?!" I said NO and our parents join in to form a stereo concert of "no, that is not what the OB means by easing back into activities". And she is trying to convince me that she can start playing soccer again in 3 weeks... The crazy part is, she's determined enough to actually DO it, but I know it's not the best thing this early after having the twins...

Anyway, for lunch we all walked down the street (1 mile) to In-N-Out for burgers and fries! It was another pleasant sunny day so everyone was in shorts and flip-flops (traditional AZ wear). Everyone seemed to enjoy the walk and conversations while we sat at the outdoor table.

Today Easton found his thumb! I don't think it was on purpose really, but he has the sucking reflex down well. Kendra said I am "pushing it" as I sat close by with the camera focused on him waiting for the perfect photo opportunity to capture his big accomplishment. Well, I was able to capture it and think it turned out really well. Can you tell by his arm that he's really filling out?


Layla on the other hand won't unclench her fists long enough to find her thumb to suck on. However, she contorts her face in more ways than Jim Carrey during a stand-up routine so that is always fun to watch. She laid still for a few brief moments in her crib today and I just had to take a picture of that because she looks like such a little angel. Sweet, tiny Peanut...

Layla and Easton both had a great day today and therefore we all had a great day today also! Here are a few quotes on my mind today that I'll share in closing:

"The secret of success is to be ready for opportunity when it comes".
"To begin with the end in mind is the foundation of the accomplishment".
"Excellence is the result of striving each day to do better than the last".

I can't resist the chance to post these pics

The rest of the fam is currently watching "Dan in Real Life" so I wanted to do a bit of my own editorial as I listen to Sondre Lerche (artists who created the soundtrack for Dan in Real Life)

Kendra is absolutely the most interesting part of our household and I am more thankful every day that she chose to be in my life. Without her I would be as boring as a chess match in a nursing home. She is funny, silly, happy, carefree and a hundred other similar adjectives. To illustrate my point I compiled a pictorial portfolio with a small fraction of the creative and cute things Kendra has done on camera since I've known her. By the way, she was actually written up at work last year for being "too happy". that's right... TOO happy...

There have been low points in our marriage where I was the lone rain cloud in her sunny world and for that I am truly sorry. In the spirit of all things "twins" related (because this is THEIR blog), I was poopy at times. Brighter days are ahead and we've grown closer through her pregnancy and the addition of Layla and Easton into our world. I hear that isn't always the case with couples when babies are introduced, but somehow it's working for us.

I hope you smile for a few moments while viewing the pictures of her beautiful face and you'll get a tiny taste of what I get to come home to every single day. You should click on the pictures to see the full sized images to save your eye sight instead of plastering your face against the computer monitor.

Presenting Kendra in real life:

We loaded up the car with everyone except Kendra and went to the park to hang out by the pond and go for a walk. Kendra was able to be by herself for an hour or so and she REALLY needed to sleep and have some quiet, alone time. The Honda Pilot is coming in handy to transport all of us and we look like clowns coming out of tiny car in a circus since there are so many of us...

I'll leave you this evening with one of my recent favorites from this week of Easton and I in our backyard. He's wrapped up burrito style and has that "I'm dreaming of pancakes and sausage" look. I'm growing out my rock-star beard (that's what Kendra calls it) because Kendra asked me to. Since I'm not the one who has to look at my face every day, I usually agree to whatever degree of facial hair she requests...

Good night all.

A blogging I will go - Nana

A blogging I will go, a blogging I will go, hi, ho the dairy O a blogging I will go! This is NaNa Webb blogging for a short space.

It is amazing to be able to be a part of the first months of my Webb grandkids lives! When I close my eyes to sleep at night I see those cut faces and hear the grunts and coos of their voices. The best time to get a big smile from them is right after they have "tanked up" at Kendra's breast. It has been a challenge to work out a "routine" or schedule when you have so many hands willing to pick up and sooth the babes at the slightest whine--I can't help but be one of the pair of hands reaching out to hold, give "sugars" and even change the diapers.

Being here has allowed me to do the "Martha" thing even though I'm trying to read my new book entitled, "Having a Mary Spirit in a Martha World", by Joanna Weaver. The busyness has also made it easier not to miss my family in Springfield too much. Hey, Kids and grandkids, I really do miss seeing you and those hugs and kisses!

I have not had the opportunity to spend this much time with Bronson and Kendra since they got married and I'm enjoying every minute of it. They have made me feel so proud and happy with how they are progressing in their marriage and now in their parenting. I know they have miles to go in the parenting growth part but most of us have to learn-trial and error, listening to others, reading books and seeking God's wisdom and guidance. I was able to sit with them at their church on Sunday and I tear up to think of their commitment to follow Jesus and be in the House of the Lord often. Well, that's about it. Blessings to you all.

CONNIE-NANA

Double the pleasure, double the fun!

Yes, that's right! With both grandmothers here the title is so true. Not only because we both can enjoy getting to know each other better but we are also enjoying loving on the double blessing that God has given us in Easton and Layla.
Nana Webb is awesome and is spoiling us with her great breakfasts and great sense of humor. She is ironing Bronson's shirts as we speak and I know that he is extremely thrilled. Hey, we need to be able to spoil our kids every now and then. :) I must admit that other than ironing my material for the quilts I love to make I have not ironed in a while myself!
Most of my friends just laughed at me when I told them that we were coming down to see the twins again. We just can't help it. They are growing up so fast and are so adorable. The next time we get to see them will be in June so we are gettting our "fix" now!
It is great to have GG, which is short for great grandmother, here to see the twins. She agree's with us that they are the cutest and she has been enjoying them just as much as we have.
GG has also been able to visit our family friend, Eina, who lives close to Kendra and Bronson. She is like a second Mom to me and I love the great memories I hold in my heart.
It is amazing how much time we can all spend just watching the twins, whether they are awake or asleep. The sweet faces and precious sounds they make touch our hearts and send us back a few years to when our children were small.
Bronson still cracks me up and I love being around him. (Well, maybe not in the wee hours when he is pulled out of a deep sleep to help Kendra with the twins, but hey who could blame him!)
Thanks Bronson for letting us invade your house again. We love all 4 of you very much!
Bronson wants his Mom to blog to so I am going to pass the baton on to her!
Oma Burgess

Jamocha Almond Fudge

Howdy folks,


Today brought plenty of shopping and sunshine on this near-perfect Arizona day. I spent the day at work (somebody's got to make a few bucks around here) and everyone else played with the babies and ran around town.

The grandmothers chipped in and bought us an ironing table. That's right... Kendra and I have been married for 5 YEARS and she's never ironed a single thing for us. OK, maybe I'm a chauvinistic pig, but my mom ironed everything for me all the way through college and I guess expectations were a bit out-of-whack. Oh, stop with your judgmental attitude and thinking, "Well, he can iron his SELF!" That's not the point. I forget the what point IS, but I have a whole row of clothes in my closet that haven't been worn in 5 years because they've been wrinkled. Geeze I'm stubborn. On the bright side, I hope to have a whole BUNCH of clothes to wear that haven't seen daylight in 5 years.

Anyway, enough of my rant for the night... Opa Burgess loved his bonding time with the twins while the women went shopping. He said it was fun and "no big deal". However, I'm sure he had his hands full and that' saying a lot considering how big his paws are as you can see here:


GG (Great Grandma) went to visit her long-time friend who lives in the next town over from us. On the way there something fell out of a truck in front of her on the highway. She ran over it and blew out a tire! Luckily there was a nice guy who stopped and helped put the spare on and we're happy to say that she and the car are fine.


Oma Burgess fixed her famous chicken enchiladas and we went out for ice cream (hence the title of the post) where Kendra celebrated her incredible weight-loss by treating herself to a couple of scoops of Jamocha Almond Fudge and some other multi-named concoction Baskin Robbins is famous for. We spent a long time just chatting and staring at the twins as they slept to the whirring hum of the many refrigerators running in the shop.



I'm heading over to my aunt and uncles for a full night of uninterrupted, silent, pitch-black sleep! Oma Burgess agreed to sleep in the bed with Kendra and help with changing and feeding during the night. I am ONE GRATEFUL SON-IN-LAW for her gift: the gift of sleep... AHHHhhhhh. My bottom lip is quivering and I'm on the verge of tears just thinking about how wonderful this night will be AND at the same time how much I'll miss sleeping next to Easton, Layla, and Kendra. Thank God for king sized beds, by the way...


Have a good night (I know I will). :)

The gang is all here

Along with the Webbs, we have my mom, Kendra's mom and dad and Kendra's grandmother. We're having a great time together and we welcome the help and love everyone brings to the house. Last night was an early-to-bed evening since we were all tired from travelling or caring for the twins. This morning we all went to church for the first time since the twins arrived and the outing was very smooth. Kendra held Layla in a sling and I held Easton in a sling so we didn't have to mess with strollers or car seats. I wanted a picture of that, but we weren't able to get one. However, we did get several others that are blog-worthy.

Let's start with the picture of Oma and Opa Burgess. They walked in the door after a 13 hour drive from CA and went straight for the twins after a brief "hello" to the rest of us. Can't blame them though!

Later that evening as Opa Burgess was holding Layla, it was a funny sight to see his enormous hands gently holding her tiny body.

This morning after we came home from church I wanted to get a picture of us dressed up since it doesn't happen often any more.

And last but not least, during nap time for everyone young and old alike, Oma Burgess and GG captured the general feel of the house by dozing off with the twins on the couch. Their facial expressions are exactly the same... OUT like a light.

We're making breakfast for dinner (Kendra's idea) and we'll finish the evening with Baskin Robbins and some girly movie the women want to see. :) It really is pleasant having everyone around and I'm glad it worked out for us to spend time together like this.

Tomorrow is Kendra's doctor appointment to see if she gets the "green light" to start exercising, hot-tubbing, and getting back to normal for her activity level.

Good night all.

Peanut on a Nana

Hello, hello,

I caught a good picture of Layla snoozing on my mom so I labeled this picture, "Peanut on a Nana". She calls Layla an "angel"... mostly as she sleeps and not so much when she's hungry and her cries sound like a very loud kazoo. :)

I took my mom out for errands alone while Kendra stayed at home to feed our two monkeys. While we were out I stopped by the local Quizno's and asked the guy behind the counter for stale bread to be used as duck food at the local park. He thought for a minute and then loaded up a shopping bag full of day-old bread for me. He gave it to me for free, which is what I was hoping for. Nana and I went to the local park with a big pond and fed the ducks for a long while. It was perfect weather and lots of people wondering around. The ducks (and pigeons) appreciated our efforts and we saw many varieties of mallards and cross-bred ones that were obviously mistakes of nature. It's one of my favorite past times and we enjoyed talking and spending the afternoon by ourselves.

After washing the car, I had Kendra take a few pictures of the babies and I for fun. She said that she didn't feel "picture worthy", whatever that is, so it's just me and Easton. Here's the best picture where he's looking right at me and being his calm, cool self.

We now refer to the babies as "monkeys" because they are both very interested in the stuffed animal monkey that hangs from the play mat. Here's Layla hanging on and figuring out how to grab things.

Kendra's parents and grandmother should be here within the next hour or so and I'm sure we'll be busy with dinner and spending time together tonight. This is why I decided to post early. Also because I'm extremely tired and don't know if I can stay awake long enough to post anything coherent on here anyway!

Good night all. see you tomorrow.

Oma and Nana BOTH at our house?

It's a dream come true. Kendra's mom and my mom will both be here at our house at the same time! I'm excited because our twins are more than enough of a hand full for three of us so there is plenty of work to go around. But wait... It gets even better. Kendra's Mom AND Dad AND Great Grandma Ellie will all three be here tomorrow night! They are on spring break and decided at the last minute to drive down and spend some time with us. Since Aunt Mary will be in Oklahoma with her grand babies for the next week or so, she agreed to let us use some of the bed rooms in her house so that no one has to sleep on the couch or the floor in ours.

Today was a good day for all of us including the twins. I spent the day at work and finally made it to my men's study group lunch that happens every Friday. It was great to reconnect with them and share with each other about the past few weeks. Then I came home to Kendra trying on her bathing suits and old pants from high school just to see how they fit and enjoy how she looks in them. It was fairly distracting to be on the phone with the Honda dealership and have her parading around the house in a bikini. :)

Kendra and Nana took the twins out shopping for a short trip to the mall and Kendra took Layla by herself to work so her coworkers could say hello and see our tiny daughter. I ended up taking a short video clip of her playing on her mat. We've decided that Layla is focused on working her legs while Easton is focused on working his arms. She kicks and kicks non-stop and he waves his arms like a chicken (especially when he is picked up).

And here's one cute picture showing the incredible flexibility Easton has when it comes to where he can sleep. I'm convinced we could hang him upside down in a hurricane and he'd sleep right through it if he was tired.

Nana made us all dinner (hooray for meatloaf!) and we watched "Stranger than Fiction" and "What about Bob". The latter being one of our personal favorites of all times. That may have been Bill Murray's last humorous film.

Time for bed once again and I HOPE to get a couple of three-hour chunks of sleep tonight as well as sleep in for Saturday morning (yeah, right). I'll add the video of Layla playing on the mat tomorrow since she just started trying to make noises with her mouth recently.

Good night all.

Kendra looks FAB

Good evening all,


I'm finally posting and commenting on Kendra's "one month after twins" picture because I had to take the time to create a comparison photo. Can you guess which one is the before pregnancy and which is after??? That's easy! The one on the left is the AFTER picture and you can tell because she looks even better than before she was pregnant.
I'm not sure how she will handle keeping the twins fed and running around chasing them all day long, but she'll need to increase her calorie count for sure. Nana and I continually try to get her to eat more since Layla and Easton are such a drain on her. no pun intended. Anyway, she has a hard time believing how good she looks so join in my daily confirmation by telling her yourself via email or comment or phone call.

There are always so many funny and interesting kodak moments throughout the day. It's hard to choose what to blog about. Kendra and I have a point-0f-contintion right now between us that if focused on pacifiers. We have a whole BAG of unopened pacifiers in the nusery, but for some reason we have one open for Layla and one open for Easton. So at 3:00 AM I'm stuck scouring the house looking for the lone pacifier to save the night for one of the babies. I frustrate her (and i'm trying to do it less) by sarcastically mumbling with my eyes half shut, "sure wish we had a FEW more pacifiers around so I wouldn't have to feel like Sherlock Holmes every night trying to back track where it is located."

Seriously, it's like the board game "Clue" e-v-e-r-y night... OK, Professor Plum had the pacifier in the Library just before tea time, so that must mean Mrs. Peacock has it now in the Study! To make a short story long, my sarcasm about the pacifiers is NOT well received by Kendra at any time during the day, and especially not at 3:00 AM. By the way, I didn't even know there WAS a 3:00 AM until the twins arrived. Kendra and I are able to laugh at ourselves and not take things too personally.

We went to our small group study tonight with Easton and left Nana at home with Layla. They seem to have survived fine and it was a nice break for the two of us... I mean three of us (including Easton) to get out of the house and interact with friends. It was a good day for everyone and we are SOOOO happy tomorrow is Friday. not so we can go out swing dancing or to the movies or any of the things we used to enjoy doing as a couple, but because we can spend time as a family with Nana and enjoy some simple things like taking a walk and going to bed early.

I've decided that satisfaction as a family is: Enjoying the mundane together. I figure if we continue to do this successfully and remain fulfilled and happy with our relationship, then we're doing just fine. :)

Good night all

Nana Webb's first blog... ever.

I’m sitting at a maze of computer paraphernalia and I hope this tech challenged Nana can get my two cents written. We are all learning and growing in this life if we are functioning at all—warm, breathing, etc. I was able to listen in on the lactation consultant’s advice to Kendra and learned quite a lot. The adjustment to parenthood is ever one of the most challenging learning and growing times of a parent’s journey. Bronson and Kendra are taking their new chapter of nurturing the twins so very serious as did Phil and I upon the arrival of our first born. Since this is just my first day at their abode, we are trying to work out the logistics and schedule(?) for all five of us.

Meanwhile back at the ranch and a few days later—baby care, house and food fixin’ and a trip to get groceries and a special dinner with just Bronson and me—I will attempt to finish this memory-making update. The little ones are quite demanding but not overly so and just being here with the Bronson-Kendra family is a special treat for me. I’m enjoying the change of weather from 30’s and 40’s to the 70 and 80’s - ooh does the sun feel so good and warm! My body is starting to talk to me-some fibro pain but this will pass. I’m anxious for my sis-in-law to come back to Phoenix so that we can have some good visit/sharing times.

With God’s help, I hope to be a blessing to her and this household. Kendra is being a number one mommy and we get along well-what a team! Of course it would be great if they lived in Missouri closer to us but we make do with what situation is before us. Pray for my poor, lonely husband who is learning about keeping the house and such up, solo. I miss him and the Brown family lots. That’s enough for now, besides I hear the little ones starting to grunt, groan, squeak for attention.

Nana and sushi?

Good evening,

It's time for bed and Kendra is calling me in to help get Easton and Layla situated. Last night was very restful. I had two stretches of three hours in a row uninterrupted. It's all in perspective, people...

Kendra gave my mom and I a kitchen pass so we took advantage of the offer and went to dinner together while Kendra single-handedly managed the house. I picture her as an octopus with two tentacles designated to hold the babies and the others doing various chores like cooking, wiping down the counters, and changing the remote control for the TV. Anyway, Nana was brave enough to go to a sushi restaurant with me and it turned out to be an adventure. I ended up with a plate of raw tuna (my dad hates all tuna, which is ironic) and she tried edamame, pork gyoza, and even a crab sushi roll. Even better, she used chopsticks for the first time and did a good enough job using them that she didn’t go away hungry.
All of us went for a walk this evening to see the colorful Arizona sunset and enjoy the perfect T-shirt weather. Here’s a picture from Kendra’s point of view as we walked around:
This could be intimidating for some to see these two staring back at you with total dependency and feel the sense of responsibility, but it’s just normal for us because we don’t know any different!

Easton lay curled up in my arms as we watched National Treasure and as I was making stupid noises and faces at him, I announced that he was smiling at me! Kendra quickly corrected me and identified his “look of joy” as just gas. Turned out she was right, but “I have a dream! That one day he’ll look up and smile at me just because I’m goofy and funny…”

Good night all.

Tag Team Blogging

Bronson Says:

I haven't had a chance to post all of my favorite pictures taken during the past couple of weeks because of the travel and here is a good one of my cousin Karen showing her magic touch of soothing Easton Troy as she rocked in the chair. Her and Mary sure know their stuff when it comes to taking care of the babies.

I spent all day at work and it was a little torturous to know Nana and Kendra were spending time with the twins without me. Nana learned a thing or two yesterday from the lactation consultant as well and she's keeping Kendra within the parameters of what the consultant recommended. It's kind of a "Change this and that for one week and see if it helps" type of thing.

Hearing the results of the pediatrician visit made my day a whole lot happier and I'll tag Kendra in to provide more details and her thoughts:

Kendra Says:

Hello All,

Monday was a sad day for me, my mother left to go back to Sacramento the day before and I thought that I would cry my eyes out before her departure. But since we were so occupied with the babies that never happened but once she left the river started to flow. Let's just say that I was a little emotional on Monday. I mourned all day long. On a happy note, it has been a joy and delight to have Connie here with me. She has been so loving and helpful with the babies and me. I have enjoyed our time together and looking forward to more of it.

Today was better but an interesting day. We had our one month check up and it went really well. Everyone is gaining weight like they should. My little Peanut, aka Layla is now weighs 6lbs 12oz. Woohoo! She is catching up to her big brother (who is now 8lbs 1oz). The only hard part was to see them receive there Hep B shots. It broke my heart to see them cry that hard. I do not know what I going to do when they 2 month check up comes and they have to receive 4, oh boy!

Well that is it for tonight, will try blog more tomorrow.

K

Best $50 we’ve spent in weeks

Today we had a visit from a lactation consultant who turned out to be very valuable for Kendra and worth every penny of the $50 fee. She is a mother of 7, has 9 grandchildren, registered nurse, blah, blah, blah. The consultant was able to help Kendra understand the exact best position to nurse, which is no small task with twins. I joined in with Kendra for the Q and A session where we fired question after question at her about sleep habits, best practices, timing of feeding, and many other topics. It was calming for Kendra to hear that some of her worries were about “normal” things that many babies experience.

One of the twins is needier than the other, one quieter, one hungrier, one bigger, etc. Kendra has a side-by-side comparison to say, “one of them is not doing the same thing as the other!?” The consultant assured us that with twins, each sibling is always different on some scale than the other.

Anyway, we miss you Oma! However, we are extremely grateful to have Nana here and she appears to be enjoying every moment of cuddling with Easton and Layla. She quickly jumped into our three-person rotation of keeping the well-oiled machine running smooth. It's been extra comforting to have her around during this time in my life and I'm already prodding her to stay as long as she can stretch this trip...

The consultant brought her baby scale here. (in my best Michael Buffer voice with ample strobe lights) “In this corner weighing in at 8 lbs. 2 oz., he’s half Burgess and half Webb, the pirate of desert, Hot Rod – Easton Troy!” (loud cheering) We were glad to see he’s still gaining weight and if he continues at his current rate, he’ll be 410 lbs by the time he graduates high school. Yes, I DID actually calculate that out… I’m such a nerd.

Easton is big enough to sit comfortably in the baby Bjorn as shown in the picture below (kind of like stuffing a turkey) and here’s a good picture of how Kendra is able to hold both babies, talk on the phone, AND look at herself in the bathroom mirror simultaneously.
I’m heading back to work tomorrow and look forward to getting things moving along at a normal pace again. I have about 95 emails to respond to, meetings all day, and several open issues to work through. I’ll have my hands full at work for the next… 3 years or so…
Tomorrow will also bring a visit to the pediatrician where the twins will get their first round of shots (ouch). I’m sure Kendra and Nana will sooth them well, but I just hate to see them in pain!

Good night and I’ll report out how much our little “peanut” weighs based on the results of the pediatrician.

Oma's OUT, Nana's IN!

Good evening friends and family,

Kendra and I bid farewell to Oma Burgess who has been such a pleasure to have around our house for the past month. Oma changed her flight to stay one day longer than her original plan. That was a huge relief since I was out of town and Kendra would have been alone for 24 hours with the twins, which is a mountainous task at this age. I begged her, “are you SURE you can’t stay for another few days or weeks?” But we knew she needed to get back home to tend to her own house and life. It was a sad day for Kendra to say goodbye to her mom and she cried a few times… every hour…

But guess who flew into Arizona just a few hours later? My mom, Connie will hence forth be known as Nana. I picked her up at the airport and she barely took time to close the front door to our house behind her before making a bee-line towards the babies and Kendra to hug them. I think her comment was, “who’s first?” trying to figure out which one of the babies was available to hold. Since Easton was drooling on himself as he laid motionless in the swing, Nana held Layla and there she’s been on the couch (in her suit outfit) talking through the details of how this crazy household functions.
Uncle Dave’s Memorial Service:
Chronologically this post will be a complete mess so don’t try and figure out the timing of everything. I’m just trying to get down some key points and pictures while I have a few minutes. I arrived home today from Oklahoma where I helped bury my best friend, Uncle Dave over the weekend. The sheer volume and diversity of emotions I’ve felt during the past few weeks has been overwhelming in a way I can’t even describe. I was at Dave’s side at 3:00 AM and he passed away at 5:57 AM on March 1st.

I’m honored to have been there for support and help during the past few months. The day before the memorial service Mary, his neighbor “big Dave”, and I had the chance to spend time in private with Uncle Dave as he lay in the open casket. I spent literal hours during the past few months sitting next to Uncle Dave while he was alive. I would watch him sleep, struggling for every breath while multiple noisy pieces of equipment hummed and beeped continually to assist him. At the funeral home, however, I spent what felt like hours on my knees sobbing with my head on the edge of the casket looking at his peaceful face. It was complete silence in the room and stillness in his body, which really brought the realities of his passing crashing down on me. Big Dave led the memorial service and I had the opportunity to speak. I have no idea if what I said made any sense to others in the room, but it was an incredible service none the less. Mary planned and coordinated a masterpiece service so well that the funeral director praised Mary in front of the entire family for her efforts. Today we went by his grave one last time and took a few pictures.

Anyway, the one consolation to the weekend was seeing family in spite of the circumstances and I was amazed at how other cousins and families have grown up so well. I’ll try to keep the sadness to a minimum for this blog since it is geared towards the twins. However, I have so much to share and a big pile of emotions to work through as these waves of sadness seem to roll in and toss me around every few hours, so bare with me. :)

I apologize for the lack of blogs recently, but fully expect to be back to blogging on a daily basis from here on to the foreseeable future. Oma and Kendra were a little too busy to keep the blog updated, but their priorities were set correctly. Our house is extremely clean and we have two happy babies. I can’t ask for more than that. While I was away Oma was able to catch this great picture of Layla and Easton holding arms as they cuddled. They are so comfortable being right up next to each other. I missed them very much while I was away and look forward to being in town for many days and weeks.
Catch you tomorrow.

Chicago artwork and sleepy boys

Good evening all,

I don't have a lot of time tonight for text since I'm trying to finish work, feed Layla, pack my suitcase, and maybe sleep a little before my 6:00 AM wake up for the departure to Oklahoma tomorrow morning. I'm so glad this week is almost over.

Did you catch the "gap" in grandma watch from the last post I did? If not, Kendra will be alone with Layla and Easton on Saturday night since Oma is leaving Saturday and Nana is arriving on Sunday. Kendra asked our neighbor, Leigh Anne and her daughter Victoria to come over for the evening and they said, "yes!" I'm relieved for Kendra because the evenings are too busy for her to manage by herself. Having them over will also give Kendra a chance to get to know them better, which is a great opportunity since they are such a great family.

Anyway, during my trip to Chicago I found lots of interesting "art" on the streets and this thing in the middle of the park looks like the worlds largest solidified drop of Mercury and I found it very interesting:

And this is a special picture Oma took of Easton and I while we slept. It is special because the bed we are in is the hospital bed that was up against uncle Dave's bed where he had passed away only 8 hours prior to this picture. it was somehow comforting for Easton and I to lay there so close to where Dave spent the last several years of his life.

Please keep me in your thoughts over the next few days as I travel to see Dave one last time and stumble down this dark pathway called the grieving process.

I'll post again when I return on Sunday night from my travels and will do my best to encourage Kendra to share some more on here as well. :)

Good night.

Too Poop or Not to Poop, that is the question…..

Okay, everyone has told me that when you have kids the conversations will surround the kids and their body functions which are absolutely true! Tuesday I do not think I have ever spoken more about pooping in my whole life. Easton was going on day 6 without pooping and Layla was on day 4. My mother and I were a little concerned of course that they did not go yet. But finally the winds changed and they both went that evening. I have to admit I did a dance on behalf of my children. You know when you have become a mom is when you do a dance for that reason. :)

Tuesday also brought dear friends by to see me and the babies, Alishia and her husband Justin. They came to enjoy Arizona and see the sites: Grand Canyon and Sedona and spring training baseball. Monday my mother graciously let us out of the house and I was able to go to Sushi with them. We had a great time. Then on Tuesday Alishia came over to see us. She was so wonderful in helping and loving on my babies. Alishia was such good sport in holding Easton and Layla, giving Mom and I a break at times. Also Amy Rich was able to swing by on her way home from work. She and I used to work together and Enterprise and we played co-ed soccer on Sunday nights. It was nice to hug her and hear how things are going on in her own life.

Well that is my two cents for today, more on the way….

Love-Kendra

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Greetings everyone,

Kendra, Easton, and Layla are all healthy and doing very well. That being said, it has been an interesting few days for all of us so far this week and the rest of it will be no exception.

The Good:
Nana Webb (my mom) is arriving on Sunday night! I'm excited to have her be a part of our family for as long as she wishes to stay and enjoy her being grandma in real life to the twins. In other good news, Kendra's cold was short-lived and she's back to happy and healthy mommy. Kendra and Oma Burgess took the twins to the mall yesterday and it was nice to get out and walk around. At least that's what Kendra said... I travelled home from Chicago yesterday and didn't get to enjoy the outing. Southwest overbooked my flight so I took their $370 voucher with the idea that Oma Burgess can use it to visit again sometime sooner than June! That leads me into the Bad...

The Bad:
Oma Burgess is flying home on Saturday and I'm sure that will be a difficult time for both of them since they've been able to be a part of each other's lives in such a direct day-to-day way as opposed to over the phone or skype.

The Ugly:
Uncle Dave passed away last week and I will be in Oklahoma for the next few days to prepare for and attend the memorial service. Kendra and I were both able to talk with him the night before his passing and he was comfortable and peaceful all the way to the end. Aunt Mary was by his side as he took his last breath and we are all grateful for the time we've had to prepare for this over the past few months. I am incredibly fulfilled that he was able to hold my two babies in his arms even though it was a only for a very short time. We are all going through the grieving process in a healthy way and appreciate your thoughts and support.

To finish the blog on a more sun-shiny note, Kendra and Oma took several good pictures over the past few days and I'll help her post the pictures along with her own blog comments, which she is writing during the day today.

Pure bliss!

I promised Bronson that Kendra and I would try and blog while he is in Chicago and today is the first chance I have gotten to do so. The twins are growing up so fast! It is wonderful to see them become individual's with their own personality, disposition, etc. Easton is a snuggle bunny and loves to cuddle with me and that of course makes me so happy. Layla is sweet natured but lately has had some "intestinal" problems that are making her cranky. She definitely knows her Mom with Kendra being the best at soothing her. It breaks my heart to see either of them in any kind of pain. Bronson is right when he said in an earlier blog that all of us are so happy when either of them expresses any kind of bodily function or noise for that matter!
I will have to return home and back to work on the 8th. My heart cannot fathom that I will not be able to see or hold the twins again until June. I cannot even begin to imagine how much they will grow and change from now until then.
I took a picture of Bronson sleeping with Easton in his arms at his Aunt Mary and Uncle Dave's house. It is so cute but I do not know how to post it on the blog so you will have to wait until Bronson comes home tomorrow to see it.
I want to thank everyone for praying for the Webb clan! Bronson and Kendra are already awesome parents and Steve and I are so proud of them. Keep up your prayers as those of us who are parents know the road they will travel. I have always told my kids to keep the things they saw me do the right way and discard those things that were not. Take the best of both families and keep Jesus in the center of everything, always!
Goodnight :)

Oma

Seeing snow

Greetings friends and family,

I'm in Chicago for a conference related to work and can't wait to get home already! Kendra and Oma are holding down the fort and Kendra has a cold (yeah, i know it's 78 degrees in Phoenix and having a "cold" sounds odd). Bless poor little Oma who is caring for Layla and Easton while the vagrant father (me) wanders the country and the ill mother (Kendra) sleeps the day away hopped up on Tylenol.

I'll be back in home in a couple of days to hear what I missed with high hopes that the camera has not been neglected in my absence. It was clear when I left that no one else knows how to get pictures from the camera to the blog, so I apologize for the lack of illustrations this week. I begged them to at least blog without the pictures, but it sounds like things might be too hectic and tiring around the Webb house for them to have time to contribute here.

I may try to post some of the photos I've taken while here in Chicago, but that's not really what you came to visit this blog for though, is it!?

Give Kendra some love and support by phone if you get a chance because I know she could use it to lift her spirits and get over the sickness sooner. :)

Have a great Monday

Daughter, mom, and oma

Good afternoon,

The twins and I are at Aunt Mary's for the afternoon while Kendra and Oma go shopping and have some mother-daughter time. They've done such a great job of grinding through the mundane day-to-day requirements of raising twins, which both of them absolutely love and are enjoying. I am glad they are able to get out and have a little fun outside of the house. Mary, my cousin Karen, and myself will do our best to keep the twins happy so they don't have to worry while shopping. Kendra and Oma had a long, but happy day yesterday doing what they do best: keeping Layla and Easton fed and rested. I took this picture of the daughter, mom, and oma at the exact location of where I proposed to Kendra 6 years ago!

I convinced Oma to allow me to post a picture of her with the new hair cut even though she wanted to show it to Opa Burgess in real life when she returned home next week. I can't believe she only has one more week to spend time with us... But Nana Webb is planning to be here the day after she leaves! I can't wait to spend time with my mom and our family.

Easton slept for 6 hours straight last night. That alone is cause for the sun to break through the clouds and a chorus of voices singing, "halleluiah"! I learned from Oma how to give him a bath and wrapped up Easton afterwards. He was calm and looked really awake. Man, i wish i knew what he was thinking! I have a few more pictures and comments to post, but i need to take a nap, so i'll catch up with you all soon!