Germaphobes Beware!

Do NOT watch this video if you fear the combination of babies and dog slobber.

Clearly Ryan and Melissa are going to have to learn the keys to making first rate baby video. The amazing cuteness of this video is somewhat diminished by their commentary. I tried to direct as much as possible, but there is only so much I can do with what Im given. As you can see, the girls love them some big dogs. They also like his gigantic tongue that feels like wet sandpaper.

Round and Round We Go

For a Friday treat I present power-walkin Riley and sweet-talkin Riley. Both good Rileys.

Shes Got the Jimmy Legs

Things are heating up at the Smith house. Sanna is getting close to crawling and Riley is thinking about skipping right to walking. She powers around her activity center, making a circular path in the carpet. She probably has the strength to pull herself up, but hasnt figured it out yet. This video shows her showing off her kicking skills. I think she may have just been excited after her meal. She could have also been celebrating St. Patricks Day with a nice seated jig. This is much more amusing than when Sanna slaps her massive legs against her bed when she wakes up during the night. It sounds like someone is trying to break in the house. I will try to get a good picture of Sanna's massive chompers that are breaking through. The evening has been a crabby time for the girls as they are tired and their teeth hurt. Our very helpful godfather came over today and tried to give them beer. He claimed they were too strong to pull it away from. I knew he was weak, but come on. He just wants everyone to be beer-crazy like him.

Tragedy at the Park

Due to the wonderful weather weve been having, we have taken every chance to get the girls out of the house. Yesterday, the girls went to the park twice. On the second trip, which I participated in, a soccer ball was brought. As many of you know, I like to kick the ball around to satisfy my need for constant activity. Our girls just sit there and eat grass, so I can get bored. There were many kids at the park, some of which were a little older. They kicked the ball with me, which was fun. Early in our visit, I was dribbling the ball and lost control. I know you are all suprised to hear that due to my high level of skill. The ball rolled away from me and rolled into Sanna. I didnt think much of it, but she started to cry. Eventually, she stopped. Later, every time the ball came anywhere near her she would started crying. I tried waiting a while and rolling the ball very slowly towards her, but she still cried. We would just sit the ball next to her and she would cry. I am extremely worried this early life event will result in her hating soccer for the rest of her life. Luckily, Riley was not affected in this tragedy. We still have a chance for Riley to become a soccer star. If this is the way to make Sanna/Riley hate an activity for the rest of their lives I am definitely going to hit them with a softball and whatever would make them hate cheerleading. Anyway, has anyone else experienced such an event? Will Sanna need therapy to become friends with the soccer ball again?

Photo Caption Contest Returns

As I think about new features to keep the european visitors coming back, here is an old favorite.  Entries will be included in a poll for visitors to vote on.

Daddy's Day of Fun

My weekend of solo baby care turned into a fun-filled extravaganza of visitors and activity. Nick and Katie came into town for the weekend to see Purdue play. Due to Purdue actually winning for once they are still here. They aided ticket scalpers in order to fund their hunger for nachos and beer. They bought tickets for todays game and actually plan to go. The girls allowed me to sleep in until almost 8 on Saturday, which was nice. The weather wasnt as nice as I had hoped, but it was warm enough to get outside. We walked down to Mass Ave and got some Yats with Nick and Katie. Afterwards, we headed back home, stopping at the park and some neighbors homes. Sanna loves nothing more than trying to eat grass and dirt. I tried my best to keep it from geting to her mouth. I even put a blaket underneath her, but she would move it out of the way in order to get to the grass. She is already smarter than me. There was another family there with us. I talked with them mom for a while. She had two kids that were about 3 and 5. She informed me that our kids were teething late (7 mo for first breakthrough), and may just go straight to walking. I have heard from one notable mother that going straight to walking results in developmental issues. the point of this story is not to listen to anybody, read any books, or have the internet. It can only lead to problems. Anyway, enjoy the new video. It is a little longer than usual but it has some funny moments. I am working on some new features for the blog. If anyone has any suggestions, I welcome them.

Life Goes on Without Me

I havent seen my babies since Sunday. I wont see them until Friday night, at which time I will start a Laurin-free weekend. Normally, that would be awesome. This time, I have babies to take care of. I will be flying solo for ~48 hours. Over the last few days the girls have been treated to daily trips to the park and walks. I hope they are ready for a weekend of laying around and playing wii. Im too tired to leave the house. If anyone in the area wants to come by and excersize the babies, please contact me. I would like to sleep as much as possible. I am a little worried that the girls are going to treat me as a stranger when I get home. Sanna only gives you a day before she forgets who you are. She now has two teeth working their way through. Their have been rumors of a Riley tooth, but no official sightings. These pictures represent some of the best work to date in the way of cuteness. I am now resigned to the fact that I am going to miss most of my babies lives while Im stuck in crappy hotel rooms. I must say that the Sheraton in downtown Chicago has the best beds ever though. Too bad breakfast costs $25, internet is $12/day and parking is $38/day. Good thing Im not paying for it. I either need to buy a webcam or win the lottery.

Holy Crap, We Went Outside

As if it was opposite day, we decided to do something, and it was outside. We took the ladies to the park and hilarity ensued. By hilarity, I mean my mom took a lot of pictures and the girls fell asleep. The outside was just too much excitement for Sanna. She fell asleep shortly after the first hundred pictures were taken. Riley stayed alseep, but whined after a while. She had been working on her extreme paleness for too long to ruin it for one day of outdoor fun. Like that groundhog, she wanted to go back inside for the rest of the winter. They did sleep a ton the rest of the day, so I think we will repeat this adventure all Spring/Summer.

Its Been A While

Due to some business travel and lack of motivation the blog has been without new and exciting posts over the last week. Our girls have hit a boring patch. They arent quite crawling, they dont have any teeth (despite whining like they are teething), and they havent learned any new tricks. Their vocal skills are quickly improving though. They both have a 'sweet voice' which consists of quiet babbling in a high pitched voice. I was going to report on a 'cry-free' day on Saturday, but Riley ruined it with a minute of crying for a bottle while we headed home from errands. I think Saturday was our babies happiest day yet though. I included some pictures of the fun. I think we have established that as long as there is one adult per baby we can keep them content. I fear we are in for lots of tears once mobility starts. I dont think there is any way we can full babyproof this deathtrap we call a home. We have learned that our reaction to their falls often dictates their response. Sanna is a drama queen that looks for your sympathy to decide if she really wants to ham it up. I am pretty sure I am rambling due to a lack of direction at the beginning of this post. Thanks to everyone for the lively dialogue on the last post. Sorry this one is so lame. Maybe I will become like Ann Coulter and just write/say obnoxious things every once and a while to keep you interested in what I have to say.