Say Uncle

Thursday night the twins had a special visit from my "Uncle Jim", his wife Kelley, and their daughters (my cousins), Lee and Winn. This was Uncle Jim's first visit with Mason and Ike. What a special moment it was, especially since it reinforced one of the very reasons Brooks and I moved back to Charlotte a year ago - to be closer to family. Jim and the family live about a mile from us, making it a lot easier for visits like this to happen than when we were in Atlanta. Uncle Jim offered a small token of assistance to us knowing how strapped we were with having to constantly attend to Mason and Ike's every need while neglecting simple house duties. In addition to seeing the twins for the first time, he was here to help us with basic chores, such as bringing in the groceries AND taking out the trash. Personally, I think he was still harboring guilt for enticing me to help his family move 12 years ago in 100-degree heat and paying me a whopping total of $25 (it might have been more, but not by much) for two days of excruciating manual labor. Nevertheless, it was a very nice gesture. Not to be forgotten were the very thoughtful gifts that Jim and Kelley gave Mason and Ike - their very own monogrammed baby blankets.

Since I've been back at work this week it's been hard to for me to stay on top capturing new photos of Mason and Ike. I know I've said this before, but it really is amazing how grown up they look with each ensuing day. Here are two photos I took Thursday night while they were in their bassinets getting ready for bed. Ike's hair is really starting to turn blonde and he remains the more active of the two, whether he's asleep or awake. Mason, as has been her form since birth, is the epitome of relaxation. As soon as she feeds, she's out for the count. Friday they had another appointment with the pediatrician to get weighed again. Ike has passed Mason again in weight. Now he's 7 lbs. 3 oz. while she is 7 lbs. 1 oz. Everything looks great with them.