And lying down with Nanna.

Netta with Ashley.

Art: "Do you know what a germ is?"
Me: "Yes. What do you know about germs?"
Art: "Well, they are even smaller than a fairy."–
Jessica

As many of you have guessed (and some haven’t!) the earlier post about Netta and Bailey being in a study was an April Fools joke and had absolutely no basis in reality. For those of you who haven’t actually watched the video, you should. It’s quite funny! Here’s a link.

And, while I’m thinking about it, I wanted to remember last years April Fools post about Art going hunting. I still chuckle at the idea of him killing a deer and cutting its heart out, and cringe thinking that a number of folks told me they thought every part of it was true, including the photo of Art with a BIG ASS gun. Here’s the original post and here’s the explainer.

And, for fun, here’s our original April Fools post when Jessica was pregnant with our as of yet unnamed baby (Lewis).

Today we took Art and Lewis to the Walker Art Museum as Nanna stayed home with Bailey and Netta. What a gift to have an outing just the four of us, it’s been a while. We saw a really fun puppet show and then explored the museum and sculpture garden for a couple hours.

Climbing in a sculpture.

This was a cool reflective sculpture that half reflected and was half transparent.

Lewis and Papa listening to music.

Jessica and I wanted to update folks on a new project we’re involved in. We were contacted by Duke University Pediatric Research Institute (a friend of my father’s works there) about participating in a 12-month study involving child motion and development. Apparently they read our blog and dig it and us. Over the past month we’ve participated in a number of conference calls via Skype with some of the doctors and researchers in North Carolina. Long story short, here’s the basic question their study is hoping to better understand:

How do babies (twins in our case) see the world and how does that influence their development?

Last week Amber Cardona, a nice (and brainy) doctorial student from Duke, flew out and equipped us with a hoard of technology they’re using for the study. Both Netta and Bailey now have small cameras and sensitive microphones strapped (gently) to their heads 24/7 (except for bathing). They told us many times that, while at first annoying, the babies will get used to them and eventually not even notice them.

The study officially begins May 1st and will document how they see the world, what sounds interest them, how they react with us, etc. I’m a little nervous about exposing the times Jess and I are grouchy or not-so-good parents. But, we’re biting the bullet and just going to do it. Part of the inventive is a hefty paycheck we’ll get at the end of the study.

Anyway, we’ve been experimenting with the cameras and wanted to share a few of the early videos here. the quality isn’t great but it works well enough I think.

Wish us luck!

This is from year or so ago when Jessica painted one of my favorite photos of Art. I’m posting now because Jessica wanted to throw it away, which we did. But not after I’ve posted it here on the blog for the historical archives!

I found this dinosaur stuck in my water bottle upstairs.

and later some money and a lizard appeared inside: