Getting started

It is hard for me to start blogging again because I feel like if I start now, I have to catch up on  the last 4 years since I stopped last time. Since that is primarily why I haven't gotten back into the blog/journal spirit, I am going to give myself a break and just start from here.
We have 4 kids now. Gunner will be 4 in August. Carter turned 2 in February. Benson and Owen, twins, born in January. Yep, 4 kids under 4! I guess I can only claim that phenomenon for a few more months so I should soak up the shock factor each time I tell people. The older they get, the less praise I will get for surviving. :)
Anyway, Cody and I have found that we forget things. I am sure we are not alone in this parenting whirlwind! I have found as we look back on pictures or videos we are reminded of so many cute things that our boys do or did. I know we forget so many of the day to day things and I don't want my kids to look back and only remember me counting to three and putting them in time out so I am writing down all our good times. :)
I will try and write things down each night but also, as I remember some of the cute things of the past I will add them in too.

Gunner Today as I was feeding Benson and Owen was in front of me in the exersaucer, Gunner asked me if he could give the baby a blessing. Not having the heart to explain the details of the Priesthood to such a willing soul, and knowing that our Father in Heaven must have been beaming with joy at such a sweet request, I said of course. He proceeded to place his hands on Benson's head and say "I lay my hands upon your head and give you a sweet blessing" He asked me for help on what else to say. We blessed his shots (4 month vaccines), his health and that he would be happy. He closed in the name of "Jesus Christ Amen" and moved right on to Owen with the same format, and finished up with me. What a sweet kid!
As I was laying by him tonight he leaned over with a hug and a kiss and said, " I just love you, mom". I hugged him back and said, " I just love you, too!" He then let me know that " usually when I hug you and tell you I love you, you say awwww". Ha ha ha So cute!
We taught him the "ok" sign  and the thumbs up cue when he started primary so he could signal to us that he was doing ok. He LOVES it. I think it really helps his nerves and also he thinks it is pretty great to have a "secret" code with us. I think it is pretty great too. "ee-aww" is Gunner's blanket. He adopted it maybe around 15 months as "ee-aww". We have no clue how he got his name but it has stuck! He then always wanted it brown side up and would correct you if you "spread him out" wrong. Now he wants ee-aww, brown side up, with the "end" (tag) corner in his hand. So funny. I swear we wont forget these things but you never know!

Carter Today Carter was waiting to get in the bath and Gunner was in our bathroom going potty. Gunner got a bloody nose and called me in to help him. After I got tp up there and cleaned him up a bit, as I was walking out to get jammies, I told Carter to give Gunner a little privacy.  I hear Carter say, "ok gunner, I love you" as he closed the door. Gunner said he loved him and carter answered with "welcome". It was just such a cute exchange! I love those moments even if they are sandwiched with fighting. :)
I was singing songs to Carter before bed in the "bumble bag" (over sized bean bag) and I asked him if I could sing I'm tryign to be like Jesus. After I was done he requested the "Jesus" song...4 more times. He was snuggled in so cozy and kept turning his face in and smushing it on mine that I would have sung it 100 more times! He is really becoming quite cuddly lately.
One cute little phase he is in right now is to really milk it when he gets hurt, loses something, gets scarred, anything really. He gets this panicky little high voice and sounds like he is on the verge of tears only it is a complete act. He just likes the snuggles and extra attention it buys him. "my moke!!" (milk)
Speaking of "moke", he LOVES it. we go through an easy gallon in a day and a half. If he loses his sippy and I am making him find it, he usually calls for it "oh sippy...where are you??" Carter has a little tic where he picks at the center of his top lip. It has progressed to where now he will do it WHILE drinking his sippy. He usually tells me he needs "chap" when it starts to get sore. Where did that come from?!

Benson Currently weighing in at 19.3lbs and is 27 3/4 inches long. He is on Zantac for acid reflux and does well with that . He is our longest and "skinniest" baby. I say that in quotes because the normal population who sees a 4 month old that weighs 19lbs would not say they are skinny. :) He had a skin tag on his cheek and ear at birth but they removed them and all that is left is a tiny little bump on the right cheek. It is adorably balanced out with a pin point dimple in the exact same spot on the left. He just started rolling over officially today! He has been trying and has had a few flukes but he for sure did it a couple times today. Belly to back. He is so close on back to belly but his arm usually gets stuck. He loves sleeping on his belly and for naps, we let him. He has been known to sleep 5-7 hours at one stretch during the DAY and then is still sleeping through the night!! 9pm -7 or 8am. AMAZING baby! Ever since he was born he loves to be with someone. In the hospital, if he was fussy, all we had to do is lay him by O and he calmed right down. Now, every morning we find he has scooted all the way over to O and is "cuddled" up. Love it! He is a left handed thumb sucker for sure now. He is getting really good at it and I am not discouraging it. I may regret it later, but for now it helps him and it is so darn cute. Love my little Benz!

Owen This kid! He is the smiliest kid I have seen! He is so easy to get a good grin out of and he smiles with his whole face! I love it. You cant help but smile around our "O". He has his check up today, too and weighs 19.8lbs and is 27 in. For being so much smaller at birth, he has wasted no time catching up! He is so strong! He was able to sit in the bumbo (legs allowing) at 3 months almost completely unassisted. He is so steady in the exersaucer now and the jumpy. He is such a content baby. He was sooooo active in me while I was pregnant that I was sure he would be the same when he was born. I guess he just couldn't find a comfortable place inside me and now it loving life outside the cramped womb. :) This boy has got a set of pipes on him!! He is so happy and so content...until he's not...and then he lets you have a piece of his mind. He doesn't hold a grudge though. As soon as the problem is solved, he is quiet and a church mouse again. Lately he loves to bury his face in my neck as I am rocking him to sleep. I always feel like it can't be comfortable for him, but when I have adjusted him, he always nuzzles right back in! Love that little boy!
He sleeps like a champ, just like his brother. In some ways they are so similar and some ways so definitely their own little people. So many times, I am almost without air and overcome with love for these new little babies! What a special blessing to have twins!

I am hoping not all of the posts will be this long because I won't continue to do it if they are!
Love my family!