Owen and Mason have never seen so many toys in their lives! Santa and the family were very good to them this year. They wore the cutest pajamas monogramed with their names and had so much fun checking out all of their new stuff! The pictures of the babies were a hit to all of the family-they had no idea!
Our babies are growing way too fast in my opinion. Several new changes have occurred over the last few weeks that tell me they are not infants anymore. We are now using "big boy" car seats! Now Mommy and Daddy don't have to lug two heavy carriers to and from the house. We are also using "big boy" bath seats. They love sitting in the tub splashing water and chewing on letters. And the floppy seats are a big hit at restaurants! They love to sit up at the table and bang anything they can reach. And another Christmas present...teeth! Both Owen and Mason have a part of one little tooth that has emerged.
We left town for a ski trip and I didn't get the pictures posted that are stored on my computer. Check next week for the Christmas Day pictures-we'll be back to our house by then!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Owen and Mason's Christening
December 23, 2007
Mason and Owen were Christening by our long time pastor from San Antonio who now is at a church in Houston. Lots of friends and family came to share in this very special day. The boys looked like little angels!
Mason and Owen were Christening by our long time pastor from San Antonio who now is at a church in Houston. Lots of friends and family came to share in this very special day. The boys looked like little angels!
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| Owen and Mason's Christenin |
Saturday, December 15, 2007
7 months old
Well, the boys have been moving right along in their quest to grow up. They have both been trying out a lot of different baby foods, like oatmeal, all kinds of veggies, and most recently meat. Baby food meat is kind of weird and smells like Fancy Feast, but they seem to like it. They have also been working on all kinds of vocal skills, like yelling, gargling (Owen), and sticking out their toungue and spitting, which makes for quite the mess when they are eating.
They've also been practicing their "words," learning to say different sounds that sound more and more like real words. Owen started it first, and Mason soon followed. They started with "Ba ba ba..." and today I overheard Owen moving on to "Da da da...," so I'm guessing his first word will be "badass."
They've been having a blast in the evenings rolling around on the floor and banging things together. Most recently we got them a tap-a-tune piano, which they LOVE.
Mason has just started initiating the games that we play. He'll be sitting on our lap and look up, waiting for you to kiss his nose. After you do it, he'll look down for a second, then look back up with a big grin and try and get you to do it again.
Bedtime has really improved dramatically this week. It seemed like they were regressing over the previous couple of months to the point where they couldn't be laid down without screaming and that they would wake up in the middle of the night more and more often. Eventually nap times got more difficult as well. Finally we listened to what a lot of other parents had told us and we got a little "aquarium" that hooks on the crib and plays music and gives them something to watch as they fall asleep. We put them in bed and give them 5 minutes to calm themselves and relax. If in 5 minutes they are still upset, we go in, pat them, and help them calm down. Well, the method worked like a charm. They calm themselves down in no time and they're usually passed out before the first 5 minutes is up. They sleep more soundly through the night, and we all get to sleep better. Thank you Marlo and Mrs. Dines!
They've also been practicing their "words," learning to say different sounds that sound more and more like real words. Owen started it first, and Mason soon followed. They started with "Ba ba ba..." and today I overheard Owen moving on to "Da da da...," so I'm guessing his first word will be "badass."
They've been having a blast in the evenings rolling around on the floor and banging things together. Most recently we got them a tap-a-tune piano, which they LOVE.
Mason has just started initiating the games that we play. He'll be sitting on our lap and look up, waiting for you to kiss his nose. After you do it, he'll look down for a second, then look back up with a big grin and try and get you to do it again.
Bedtime has really improved dramatically this week. It seemed like they were regressing over the previous couple of months to the point where they couldn't be laid down without screaming and that they would wake up in the middle of the night more and more often. Eventually nap times got more difficult as well. Finally we listened to what a lot of other parents had told us and we got a little "aquarium" that hooks on the crib and plays music and gives them something to watch as they fall asleep. We put them in bed and give them 5 minutes to calm themselves and relax. If in 5 minutes they are still upset, we go in, pat them, and help them calm down. Well, the method worked like a charm. They calm themselves down in no time and they're usually passed out before the first 5 minutes is up. They sleep more soundly through the night, and we all get to sleep better. Thank you Marlo and Mrs. Dines!
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| Week 31 (7 months) |
Owen is Excited
This is him kicking on his changing table because he's so fired up. This is an oldie but a goodie - it was taken back on October 7 when Owen was 5 months old.
Their First Train Set
Owen and Mason watch their train go around and around. Still working on that sitting thing...
Mason and Owen Sitting Up
This was taken a few weeks ago when Owen and Mason just started sitting up. They were still working on it at the time, as you can see at the end.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Men at Work
Owen loves to jump in his jumperoo. Mason hard at work making sure his "ship" runs smoothly! Viedo taken on November 11th (6 months old).
Owen's New Trick
November 30, 2007-just over 6 1/2 months. This is one of the first times Owen rolled to his tummy. The same night he mastered the new skill and has been rolling with ease ever since!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Lots of new pictures...
They are changing right before my eyes! Owen had only rolled from his back to tummy once and in one day he mastered the skill! Now he rolls with no effort! In fact, he has gotten so good at it he is already trying to crawl. He was pulling his legs up under him trying to go somewhere. It won't be long...
Mommy and Daddy went to Vail for a vacation so the boys spent their first "week at Grandma's."
These turkey outfits were the very first thing I bought when we found out it was twins...last October!
Great grandmother Numna bought the boys their very first train set. Trains are very special in our family. My great uncle Roy who recently passed away loved trains-he even built a working scale model that runs at 7A Ranch in Wimberley. I know he is looking down and enjoying these boys watching their new train!
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| Six Months |
Just starting to sit up.
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| Week 28: A Week at Granna and Grandaddy' |
Mommy and Daddy went to Vail for a vacation so the boys spent their first "week at Grandma's."
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| First Thanksgivi |
These turkey outfits were the very first thing I bought when we found out it was twins...last October!
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| Our Very First Train Set |
Great grandmother Numna bought the boys their very first train set. Trains are very special in our family. My great uncle Roy who recently passed away loved trains-he even built a working scale model that runs at 7A Ranch in Wimberley. I know he is looking down and enjoying these boys watching their new train!
Friday, November 30, 2007
A very busy month 6 and sitting up!
We have made it to six months and learned how to sit up! I can't believe it! Owen and Mason have been very busy lately. They celebrated Mommy's birthday with her, made their first trip to College Station, spent a week at Granna and Grandaddy's while Mommy and Daddy were in Vail, enjoyed their first Thanksgiving, and watched the Aggies beat the longhorns! WOW, what a month!
The big progress this month is sitting up! At first they were a little wobbly but with a few days of practice they can stay up for a long time. If they get to excited and throw their arms up they'll tip over. I still have to be close by to soften the landings but those are becoming less and less!
Owen decided that he was going to roll from his back to his tummy. We haven't caught him on camera though. Mason is starting to pull his legs up while on his tummy, an early sign of wanting to crawl I suppose! UH OH! My life is about to get very crazy! Before we left for Vail, Mason was mobile via his head and his heels. He arches up into a backbend, pumps his little legs, and scoots around on his head. We thought it must just be a "Mason thing!" Wrong! After Vail, Owen learned the trick! Now they are both mobile in a very unconventional way! All babies learn to roll, sit, crawl, etc. This backbend thing isn't a milestone for most babies, yet somehow both of ours do it! Just another shining example of being identical!
Solid foods are a hit! Now that they've mastered the skill of eating from a spoon, they hold their mouth open between bites like little birdies. It is so funny! They are also learning early on the importance of taking turns and being patient. One bowl, one spoon, Owen's food on one side of the bowl, Mason's on the other. One bite for Mason, one bite for Owen. It seems to work great!
Pictures are coming soon...the babies are calling me....
The big progress this month is sitting up! At first they were a little wobbly but with a few days of practice they can stay up for a long time. If they get to excited and throw their arms up they'll tip over. I still have to be close by to soften the landings but those are becoming less and less!
Owen decided that he was going to roll from his back to his tummy. We haven't caught him on camera though. Mason is starting to pull his legs up while on his tummy, an early sign of wanting to crawl I suppose! UH OH! My life is about to get very crazy! Before we left for Vail, Mason was mobile via his head and his heels. He arches up into a backbend, pumps his little legs, and scoots around on his head. We thought it must just be a "Mason thing!" Wrong! After Vail, Owen learned the trick! Now they are both mobile in a very unconventional way! All babies learn to roll, sit, crawl, etc. This backbend thing isn't a milestone for most babies, yet somehow both of ours do it! Just another shining example of being identical!
Solid foods are a hit! Now that they've mastered the skill of eating from a spoon, they hold their mouth open between bites like little birdies. It is so funny! They are also learning early on the importance of taking turns and being patient. One bowl, one spoon, Owen's food on one side of the bowl, Mason's on the other. One bite for Mason, one bite for Owen. It seems to work great!
Pictures are coming soon...the babies are calling me....
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Weeks 24 and 25
It has been a while since we've updated everyone! Like usual, life is very busy. Aaron was out of town for a week on business. Lindsay and Numna were a great help but things are a bit more chaotic without Aaron. While Aaron was gone Owen found his feet. Now he is a pro at grabbing them just like his brother. Both babies are sitting up with support. Actually, if you lean them just right they can hold themselves up for a minute or two before they fold forward in half or tip over. It is exciting for them because it is a whole new perspective on the world. I can tell they can't wait until they can do it on their own.
We've also started both babies on solids. We had to wait for the all clear from the doctor. Since they have had a bout with eczema she wanted us to wait until 5 1/2 months to reduce the risk of creating a food allergy. So far they have enjoyed cereal and pears. Tomorrow we will introduce a veggie. I hope they don't take after their dad!
I know I am partial but Mason and Owen are getting extremely cute. Their personalities are coming through and they are interacting with each other more and more. They are talking, laughing, smiling, and screaming (not the crying kind, the loud excited squeals) a lot these days! They both went for the same toy for the first time and they shared it beautifully! If there is one thing twins are good at, it's sharing!
Probably the most exciting thing to happen recently was Mason rolled from his back to his front! We even caught it on video! Owen is SO close! Mason also loves to inch his way around the floor but he doesn't do it the conventional way. He arches up onto his head and pushes with his feet to get places. All is good until he runs head first into the furniture!
Halloween was fun! What else would they be but Two Peas in a Pod? We had their pictures made in their costumes! Right before and right after the picture both babies were smiling from ear to ear. As soon as they saw that big camera they froze and studied it, no smiles! They were damn cute though!
They had their 6 month round of shots recently. Owen is still bigger than Mason. He came in at 17 lbs. 2 oz. Mason weighed in at 16 lbs. 8 oz. They are both 26 inches tall!
Please enjoy the pictures! The first few pictures are actually from the end of week 23.
We've also started both babies on solids. We had to wait for the all clear from the doctor. Since they have had a bout with eczema she wanted us to wait until 5 1/2 months to reduce the risk of creating a food allergy. So far they have enjoyed cereal and pears. Tomorrow we will introduce a veggie. I hope they don't take after their dad!
I know I am partial but Mason and Owen are getting extremely cute. Their personalities are coming through and they are interacting with each other more and more. They are talking, laughing, smiling, and screaming (not the crying kind, the loud excited squeals) a lot these days! They both went for the same toy for the first time and they shared it beautifully! If there is one thing twins are good at, it's sharing!
Probably the most exciting thing to happen recently was Mason rolled from his back to his front! We even caught it on video! Owen is SO close! Mason also loves to inch his way around the floor but he doesn't do it the conventional way. He arches up onto his head and pushes with his feet to get places. All is good until he runs head first into the furniture!
Halloween was fun! What else would they be but Two Peas in a Pod? We had their pictures made in their costumes! Right before and right after the picture both babies were smiling from ear to ear. As soon as they saw that big camera they froze and studied it, no smiles! They were damn cute though!
They had their 6 month round of shots recently. Owen is still bigger than Mason. He came in at 17 lbs. 2 oz. Mason weighed in at 16 lbs. 8 oz. They are both 26 inches tall!
Please enjoy the pictures! The first few pictures are actually from the end of week 23.
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| Weeks 24 and 25 |
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Weeks 22 and 23
Mason and Owen have been busy guys! Mason found his feet, they are both rolling over now (from tummy to back) and are getting really good at tummy time. They can both shift their weight while on their tummies to raise an arm and grab a toy. They are inches away from rolling from back to tummy. Mason and Owen both recognize a bottle because when they see it they start to whimper. If it is brought close enough they reach out and grab it and put it in their mouth.
We just got back from a trip to Lubbock to visit Mimi and Papi and go to the A&M game. Owen and Mason went on their first plane ride and they did great! We didn't get too many dirty looks! I think it was more tiring for Mom and Dad because we had to triple concentrate on the babies to make sure everything went smoothly, was safe, and quiet for the other passengers! We made it though! While we were in Lubbock we visited a pumpkin patch to take some pictures. They came out great! Later that night we went to a cornfield maze and took the babies with us! They were troopers but only through the first half of the maze. Mason decided he did NOT like it! We'll try again next year!
We just got back from a trip to Lubbock to visit Mimi and Papi and go to the A&M game. Owen and Mason went on their first plane ride and they did great! We didn't get too many dirty looks! I think it was more tiring for Mom and Dad because we had to triple concentrate on the babies to make sure everything went smoothly, was safe, and quiet for the other passengers! We made it though! While we were in Lubbock we visited a pumpkin patch to take some pictures. They came out great! Later that night we went to a cornfield maze and took the babies with us! They were troopers but only through the first half of the maze. Mason decided he did NOT like it! We'll try again next year!
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| Weeks 22 and 23 |
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Owen Eats Cereal
This video is from a couple of weeks ago when Owen tried rice cereal for the first time. He seemed to like it pretty well, although he didn't know exactly what to do with it once it was in his mouth.
Mason Rolls Over
Mason rolled over from his front to back for the first time the other day. Enjoy the video.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Weeks 19, 20, and 21
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| Weeks 19, 20, and 21 |
The last 3 weeks have taken us to San Antonio, Orange, back to San Antonio, San Marcos, Wimberley, and back home again. In the mean time, Owen and Mason have gotten cuter and cuter.
Mason and Owen have had a big job this week. They helped Great-Numna celebrate her 85th birthday and they helped cheer up Great-Great-Aunt Bee after losing her husband, Roy, of 67 years on Monday. They did a great job!
Owen has really started reaching for toys now. This skill has been in the works but now you can tell him, "here, hold this" and he'll take it from you (and put it straight in his mouth). He has gotten so good at reaching and grabbing that he has reached for Mason's face a few times and grabbed his pacifier.
A few days ago I walked in on the babies laying on the floor together just staring at each other and cooing. They were having their first mini-conversation and it was precious! I wonder what they were talking about!
We let Owen try some rice cereal last weekend (Mason was already down for the night). He seemed to like the taste but he didn't quite know what to do with it after I put it in his mouth. He'll figure it out. The next day, Mason held his bottle all by himself for almost the entire feeding! My life is about to get easier!
Yesterday (9/30) was a big day for Mason. I noticed that he was really watching my mouth when I was talking to him. I stuck my tongue in and out at him and he stuck his tongue back out at me! He also rolled from his front to back during tummy time last night. He loved his new trick that we couldn't keep him on his tummy because he would flip right back over!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Weeks 16, 17, and 18
We are finally able to get back to blogging! Our hard drive crashed and we have frantically been trying to recover our data...mainly, our baby pictures! In the mean time we have been busy! We celebrated Daddy's birthday, Aunt Lindsay's birthday, Granna's birthday, Mimi's birthday, and Uncle Kyle's birthday.
Labor Day weekend we went to Lake Travis to hang out on Grandaddy's boat. Mason and Owen loved it this time. They were a little too young to enjoy it the first time we took them at 6 weeks. We also visited Great Great Aunt and Uncle Bee and Roy in San Marcos. Daddy discovered that both babies are ticklish under their arms and they crack up when tickled! It is adorable!
Mimi, Papi, Uncle Kyle and Manda visited this weekend. Owen and Mason had lots of fun playing with everyone! The babies also enjoyed their very first Aggie football game all decked out in their maroon gear!
Owen and Mason have also been learning lots of new tricks! Mason learned how to reach for toys a couple of weeks ago. He has been concentrating on grabbing and pulling them towards him. He has also been staring at the backs of his hands like he is wearing jewelry trying to figure out how to put them to work. Both babies can roll from their backs to their sides and from their sides to their backs. It won't be long before these guys will be getting into everything! Mason's new favorite thing to do is stand up. He is able to support his weight on his legs and he giggles when he knows he is doing a good job. Mimi worked with Owen on the same task this weekend and now he is standing, too. Mimi also brought them some toys that are easy to grab. Owen and Mason both can grab them and put them in their mouth. It is so funny to see them learning how to play with toys! Mason has been trying to figure out how to stick out his tongue and blow bubbles and Owen is still working on the toy grabbing thing. They've almost got it!
Labor Day weekend we went to Lake Travis to hang out on Grandaddy's boat. Mason and Owen loved it this time. They were a little too young to enjoy it the first time we took them at 6 weeks. We also visited Great Great Aunt and Uncle Bee and Roy in San Marcos. Daddy discovered that both babies are ticklish under their arms and they crack up when tickled! It is adorable!
Mimi, Papi, Uncle Kyle and Manda visited this weekend. Owen and Mason had lots of fun playing with everyone! The babies also enjoyed their very first Aggie football game all decked out in their maroon gear!
Owen and Mason have also been learning lots of new tricks! Mason learned how to reach for toys a couple of weeks ago. He has been concentrating on grabbing and pulling them towards him. He has also been staring at the backs of his hands like he is wearing jewelry trying to figure out how to put them to work. Both babies can roll from their backs to their sides and from their sides to their backs. It won't be long before these guys will be getting into everything! Mason's new favorite thing to do is stand up. He is able to support his weight on his legs and he giggles when he knows he is doing a good job. Mimi worked with Owen on the same task this weekend and now he is standing, too. Mimi also brought them some toys that are easy to grab. Owen and Mason both can grab them and put them in their mouth. It is so funny to see them learning how to play with toys! Mason has been trying to figure out how to stick out his tongue and blow bubbles and Owen is still working on the toy grabbing thing. They've almost got it!
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| Week 16 |
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| Week 17 |
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| Week 18 |
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Fraternal or Identical?
---- COPY OF TEST RESULTS #15057-070806 ----
We are pleased to report to you the results of the twin zygosity test that you requested. Analysis of the DNA indicates that Owen Russell Crews and Mason Kyle Crews are monozygotic, or more commonly referred to as identical twins.
We first isolated DNA from cheek cells from the swab kits that were returned to our lab. We amplified the DNA using a technique called PCR. Next, we analyzed 7-8 standard DNA markers (D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, vWA, TH01, TPOX, and CSF1PO) and determined that the highly variable DNA markers were the same for both twins. Thus, there is greater than a 99% probability that the twins are monozygotic.
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
So there you have it, identical twins (I was hoping they would be)! Good thing no real money was at stake in this bet because no one expected it (except Mommy, Grandaddy, and Manda)!
We are pleased to report to you the results of the twin zygosity test that you requested. Analysis of the DNA indicates that Owen Russell Crews and Mason Kyle Crews are monozygotic, or more commonly referred to as identical twins.
We first isolated DNA from cheek cells from the swab kits that were returned to our lab. We amplified the DNA using a technique called PCR. Next, we analyzed 7-8 standard DNA markers (D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, D16S539, vWA, TH01, TPOX, and CSF1PO) and determined that the highly variable DNA markers were the same for both twins. Thus, there is greater than a 99% probability that the twins are monozygotic.
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
So there you have it, identical twins (I was hoping they would be)! Good thing no real money was at stake in this bet because no one expected it (except Mommy, Grandaddy, and Manda)!
Week 15
This week has been pretty eventful! Owen has started to realize he is in water when he takes a bath. He purposefully kicks his legs and moves his arms around to feel the water splash! It is so funny! He even got to go for a swim in the baby pool at Aaron's company picnic. Of course, he loved that too!
Mason has become quite the talker this week. When we talk to him he smiles and makes squeaks, sighs, and consonant sounds like la, guh, and da. He will have a "conversation" with you for 5-10 minutes, although everytime we pull out the video camera he stops talking!
Granna, Grandaddy, Aunt Lindsay, and Great Numna came to visit this weekend. They really enjoyed the babies and couldn't believe how much they have changed! This was the first time Numna had seen them since they started smiling and laughing. What a treat!
Week 15 is still in progress so there will be more pictures to add later in the week. In the mean time, enjoy the first of the week 15 pictures!
Mason has become quite the talker this week. When we talk to him he smiles and makes squeaks, sighs, and consonant sounds like la, guh, and da. He will have a "conversation" with you for 5-10 minutes, although everytime we pull out the video camera he stops talking!
Granna, Grandaddy, Aunt Lindsay, and Great Numna came to visit this weekend. They really enjoyed the babies and couldn't believe how much they have changed! This was the first time Numna had seen them since they started smiling and laughing. What a treat!
Week 15 is still in progress so there will be more pictures to add later in the week. In the mean time, enjoy the first of the week 15 pictures!
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| Week 15 |
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Hooray for sleep!
How could I forget? Owen and Mason have started sleeping through the night! This first happened a few weeks ago but I thought it must have been a fluke. Since then, they have consistently slept for at least 6 hours in a row. The most amazing part about the whole thing is that they both started sleeping longer on the exact same night. We have talked to several twin moms who have said that one of their's started sleeping longer months before the other one. We are so lucky to have such awesome babies!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Week 14
Mason and Owen turned 3 months old on Friday. We took the boys to see Mimi and Papi during their Houston layover on their way back from Greece. They got to ride in their new "big boy" stroller, facing each other! Only problem is that they haven't quite noticed each other yet. They made eye contact with each other for the first time on Sunday night. It was pretty exciting! Let the games begin! Daddy has been playing with Owen and Mason in their toadstool seats. They really seem to enjoy sitting up.
We had them weighed today to see how they are progressing. Mason came in at 14 lbs. 9 oz. and 24 inches long. Owen weighs 14 lbs. 12 oz. and is 23.5 inches long.
Most importantly, we sent off their twin zygosity test today. We should know by the end of August whether they are identical or fraternal twins. Any bets?
We had them weighed today to see how they are progressing. Mason came in at 14 lbs. 9 oz. and 24 inches long. Owen weighs 14 lbs. 12 oz. and is 23.5 inches long.
Most importantly, we sent off their twin zygosity test today. We should know by the end of August whether they are identical or fraternal twins. Any bets?
Check out the new pictures from this week.
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| Week 14 |
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
July 7th Photo Shoot
We took some more pictures in San Antonio last weekend while both of our families were in the same place. Mason and Owen are about 2 months old and around 12 pounds!
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| 7-7-07 Portraits |
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Father's Day Photo Shoot
We got Rusty to get out the cameras and the lights and we got some great shots in our living room this afternoon.
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| Father's Day Photo Shoot |
Monday, June 11, 2007
4 week weight taken
FYI, Erin and my dad took the babies to be weighed today and Owen came in at 9 lb 2 1/2 oz, and Mason came in at 9 lb 11 oz. They've both gained almost 30 oz in the last couple of weeks!
Some more videos
The babies turn 1 week old
Mason and Owen go on their first walk
Owen and Mason get their first real baths
Mason and Owen go on their first walk
Owen and Mason get their first real baths
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Baby Videos Uploaded
I put up a couple video clips of Mason and Owen. The first one is some moments when the babies were awake, and the second one is Mason and Owen on their play mat wriggling around. There are more in the queue that I'll post later.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Mason and Owen's First Week Home
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| Mason and Owen - First Week Home |
I uploaded some pictures from Mason and Owen's first week back at home, for those who are interested in what we're doing lately....
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
The Babies are Here!
The boys have arrived safe and sound! Their official birthdate was yesterday, May 10th. Baby Owen Russell was born at 2:03 p.m. weighing 6 lbs. 3 oz, 18 inches long. Baby Mason Kyle was born at 2:04 p.m. weighing 6 lbs. 8 oz, 19 3/4 inches long. Both babies are in great health with no special care. Mom and Dad are doing great too but are tired already!
Pictures coming soon!
Erin Crews
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Mason and Owen's Nursery, and C-section date set
Erin uploaded some pictures of herself throughout the pregnancy and some pictures of Mason and Owen's Nursery, which is pretty much complete.
We finally set a date for the C-section: May 10, 2007, which is this Thursday, at 1:30. Look for updates and pictures that I'll be posting soon afterwards. Wish us luck!
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| Nursery |
We finally set a date for the C-section: May 10, 2007, which is this Thursday, at 1:30. Look for updates and pictures that I'll be posting soon afterwards. Wish us luck!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
San Antonio Baby Shower Pics
I uploaded some pictures from the baby shower we had a while back in San Antonio. Mainly I'm just testing to see how all this stuff works between Picasa, blogger, my website, myspace, facebook, etc.
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| Baby Shower |
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Latest on the Babies
We went back to the doctor yesterday and got a 32-week ultrasound. The news is good--they still look normal/healthy, and they're up to just about 4 lbs each! (3 lb 15 oz and 3 lb 14 oz) There haven't been any signs of labor or anything so I'm thinking it will still be a while before they come, which is really nice. At this point it looks like we might end up with some very healthy & good birth weight boys!
Monday, April 2, 2007
More Acie Law and Ryan Adams
Just an FYI, Acie Law ended up winning the Bob Cousy award as the best point guard in the country. No doubt he was the best in the country, but I like to think that the "fan vote" helped him out as well.
Also, the last week I have been listening to Cold Roses from Ryan Adams (& the Cardinals) on repeat constantly. I know I'm late getting to that one, but it is really, really good.
Also, the last week I have been listening to Cold Roses from Ryan Adams (& the Cardinals) on repeat constantly. I know I'm late getting to that one, but it is really, really good.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Twins Update
So we went to the doctor on Monday and got another peek at Mason and Owen. They couldn't find the heartbeats very well with external fetal monitors (the babies were moving around quite a bit) so the doctor went ahead and did the 28-week ultrasound.
Everything still looks healthy with them, which is good. They weigh 2 lb 3 oz and 2 lb 11 oz (est) respectively, which is in the 20th percentile, which is right on target for twins.
They have changed positions from the previous vertex-vertex positioning to breach & transverse, which means that baby A is breach (feet-down) and baby B is across Erin sideways. If they were delivered today, that would mean an automatic C-section. Supposedly 32 weeks is when the babies start to move into position, though, so as long as there's still some room they may move themselves back into the right position.
We were supposed to do the 3D-4D ultrasound also, but when we tried we couldn't get any good pictures of their faces, which is really the interesting part (everyone knows what a foot looks like). We'll try it again on a future ultrasound and if we get some good video then I'll post it on here.
Oh, also, Erin's now measuring like she's 40 weeks along (for a single baby) although she's only at 28 weeks. That means that she's the size she would be if a single baby was full-term. From here on out it's probably going to get more uncomfortable. All in all, though, it's been smooth so far.
Anyway, just wanted to update everyone on what we found out.
Everything still looks healthy with them, which is good. They weigh 2 lb 3 oz and 2 lb 11 oz (est) respectively, which is in the 20th percentile, which is right on target for twins.
They have changed positions from the previous vertex-vertex positioning to breach & transverse, which means that baby A is breach (feet-down) and baby B is across Erin sideways. If they were delivered today, that would mean an automatic C-section. Supposedly 32 weeks is when the babies start to move into position, though, so as long as there's still some room they may move themselves back into the right position.
We were supposed to do the 3D-4D ultrasound also, but when we tried we couldn't get any good pictures of their faces, which is really the interesting part (everyone knows what a foot looks like). We'll try it again on a future ultrasound and if we get some good video then I'll post it on here.
Oh, also, Erin's now measuring like she's 40 weeks along (for a single baby) although she's only at 28 weeks. That means that she's the size she would be if a single baby was full-term. From here on out it's probably going to get more uncomfortable. All in all, though, it's been smooth so far.
Anyway, just wanted to update everyone on what we found out.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Acie Law for the Cousy Award: A Moral Delimma
OK. So here's the deal. Texas A&M point guard Acie Law is one of 17 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award this year. 1 Vote out of the 31 votes for the award is determined by fans voting in an online poll. The guy who put together the website (http://www.cousyaward.com) decided to outsource the web poll using a company called websitegear.com. The web poll that websitegear made is supposed to only allow 1 vote per email address per day, but....
It doesn't work properly. Some fans at the University of Virginia figured that out and (first of all) created a web form that generates a fake email address and votes for their candidate. People at texags.com figured this out when Acie (who had been leading handily from normal fair fan votes) fell behind quickly to Sean Singletary from UVA. As a response, we did what any normal person would do, and we put ourselves on equal footing. I changed the code that UVA was using to vote for Acie Law instead and posted it here.
A little more research determined that the online poll application was even more worthless than it originally seemed. Because of the way that the form validation was set up, you didn't actually have to put in an email address at all. You could simply refresh the aspx page and the application would take the argument from the web address (a "code" that they assigned to each player) and add it to the votes.
Since the voting process could be subverted so easily, and since the ballot boxes were being stuffed with fake email addresses anyway, I went ahead and made a page that uses javascript to refresh the form submission every 2 seconds automatically. You can find it here. This required about 3 lines of code (optionally it could be done with a Firefox browser extension). Needless to say, after posting the link on texags.com, Acie retook his lead in the poll. The people on the UVA message board (http://www.thesabre.com/message_board/basketball/) stole my code and changed it to vote for their guy and hosted it on another site. There are many more Aggies than Wahoos, though, and Acie's lead is slowly growing.
The Aggie Code of Honor:
Aggies never lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do.
Is what I did a violation of the Aggie Code? It is an act of intolerance of the cheating being done by the UVA folks, but hypocritically violates the code itself. I looked at the situation as a technical challenge and didn't anticipate the competition getting so heated.
The guy who posted the original form (with the random email addresses) took it down, but it is clear that there are many people still using their version of the auto-refreshing form that I made. If I take a moral stance at this point and take down my voting forms then it is likely that we will lose the poll. So if you make a decision that in retrospect violates your principles, at what point do you draw the line?
It'll be interesting to see how all of this shakes out. Hopefully they'll nullify all the fake votes, but I don't think that they can filter them out well, because the email addresses are not stored in their SQL database. The best that they can do is to filter down the results to 1 vote per IP address per day or something like that, or just disqualify the entire online poll from having a say in the Cousy Award ballots. In the end, it is not my problem. Websitegear.com told the guy that made the Cousy Award website that it would handle 1 vote per email address per day, and it doesn't do that. If I were on the Award committee, I would be ticked off at those guys.
It doesn't work properly. Some fans at the University of Virginia figured that out and (first of all) created a web form that generates a fake email address and votes for their candidate. People at texags.com figured this out when Acie (who had been leading handily from normal fair fan votes) fell behind quickly to Sean Singletary from UVA. As a response, we did what any normal person would do, and we put ourselves on equal footing. I changed the code that UVA was using to vote for Acie Law instead and posted it here.
A little more research determined that the online poll application was even more worthless than it originally seemed. Because of the way that the form validation was set up, you didn't actually have to put in an email address at all. You could simply refresh the aspx page and the application would take the argument from the web address (a "code" that they assigned to each player) and add it to the votes.
Since the voting process could be subverted so easily, and since the ballot boxes were being stuffed with fake email addresses anyway, I went ahead and made a page that uses javascript to refresh the form submission every 2 seconds automatically. You can find it here. This required about 3 lines of code (optionally it could be done with a Firefox browser extension). Needless to say, after posting the link on texags.com, Acie retook his lead in the poll. The people on the UVA message board (http://www.thesabre.com/message_board/basketball/) stole my code and changed it to vote for their guy and hosted it on another site. There are many more Aggies than Wahoos, though, and Acie's lead is slowly growing.
The Aggie Code of Honor:
Aggies never lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do.
Is what I did a violation of the Aggie Code? It is an act of intolerance of the cheating being done by the UVA folks, but hypocritically violates the code itself. I looked at the situation as a technical challenge and didn't anticipate the competition getting so heated.
The guy who posted the original form (with the random email addresses) took it down, but it is clear that there are many people still using their version of the auto-refreshing form that I made. If I take a moral stance at this point and take down my voting forms then it is likely that we will lose the poll. So if you make a decision that in retrospect violates your principles, at what point do you draw the line?
It'll be interesting to see how all of this shakes out. Hopefully they'll nullify all the fake votes, but I don't think that they can filter them out well, because the email addresses are not stored in their SQL database. The best that they can do is to filter down the results to 1 vote per IP address per day or something like that, or just disqualify the entire online poll from having a say in the Cousy Award ballots. In the end, it is not my problem. Websitegear.com told the guy that made the Cousy Award website that it would handle 1 vote per email address per day, and it doesn't do that. If I were on the Award committee, I would be ticked off at those guys.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
New Year's Eve 2006
I'm going to try and post the videos that I used to have on this site before the change. The first one was the New Year's Eve video that I first uploaded as a test. It's pretty boring, but here it is.
You can also view the video here.
You can also view the video here.
Welcome
Well, I decided after trying to do too many things on my own with erinandaaron.com to go ahead and change to this format so that we'd be able to be even more flexible when it comes to keeping everyone up on what we are all up to.
Hopefully this will let the grandparents and cousins and our friends that don't' get to see us too often keep track of all the latest in the lives of myself, Erin, Mason, and Owen.
I'll publish any videos that we create here, along with photos and any funny stories or important news in the Crews household. We'll see if it ends up useful, funny, entertaining, or boring.
Hopefully this will let the grandparents and cousins and our friends that don't' get to see us too often keep track of all the latest in the lives of myself, Erin, Mason, and Owen.
I'll publish any videos that we create here, along with photos and any funny stories or important news in the Crews household. We'll see if it ends up useful, funny, entertaining, or boring.
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