That was a fast 4 weeks!

Well, the time has come all too quickly for Dan to head off to Japan again for 2 more weeks. He left yesterday morning (Saturday) and returns home on July 1st, just in time for a 3 day weekend-yay! We have lots of playdates planned and will stay as busy as possible. Here's hoping everyone stays healthy!

Happy Father's Day!

Since Dan will be in Japan on Father's Day, we celebrated a little early on Friday. Luke and Olivia worked very hard on their presents and "dada" loved them. They painted a t-shirt with washable paints and made bookmarks for him. They also colored him some pictures, got him Scrabble-Baseball Edition and a t-shirt that says "dad 2". Then we had a casual dinner of Bojangles and enjoyed spending some time together as a family.

Dan, you are an excellent husband and father and we're thankful everyday we have you in our lives. Happy Father's Day to one of the most wonderful men I know. We love you!

Same skirt

Olivia wore this skirt when she was 6 months old and it still fits one year later. Our lil' runt =)


6 Months Old


18 Months Old

Luke's haircut

Before:


After:

18 Month Check Up

Luke and Olivia had their 18 month check up today and it was by far, the easiest and least painful of all appointments we have had so far. Yay! =) Since they were all caught up on their shots, they didn't have to get any today (even though I was told they would get 2 each). PauPaw came with us to help out since Dan is out of town, and it's always nice to have an extra set of hands while Dr. Colyer is examining each baby. She said their development was right on track and they were doing great for their ages. I also had to complete a developmental questionnaire and they passed with flying colors. We are still going to keep the car seats rear facing since Olivia still isn't 20 pounds and the new guidelines recommend they be 2 years old. Since they have never been turned they don't know he difference, but we are ready for them to be forward facing. Soon enough...Unless something comes up, we don't have to go back for another check up until they turn 2 years old.

Here are their measurements from today:
Luke
24.0 pounds; 23%
32" long; 36%
Head circumference: 49cm 57%

Olivia
19.2 pounds; 3%
30.5" long; 15%
Head circumference: 46cm 9%

After their appointment, I took Luke to get his haircut and let's just say the third time was certainly a charm this time. He did awesome sitting in the chair and got a really good haircut for the first time ever. The stylist even put some gel in his hair, and it is so cute! I got it cut kind of short for summer so I have to get used to his new look. He is such a little man now!

Happy Half-Year Birthday!

Today marks a very special day for the Bartlett clan. Luke and Olivia turn 18 months old! I can hardly believe it. I remember taking their picture last year when they turned 6 months old and thinking it would be forever until the same time would arrive a year later. Well, I blinked and the time is here.

To celebrate their half-year birthday, we went to the park in the morning and played with some friends. Then we met Oma to run some errands and spend some time together. After that, we went to dinner at Chick Fil A with Aunt B and Uncle Marc. Luke and Olivia has so much fun eating ice cream and playing at the indoor play area. It was a wonderful and memorable day. Happy half-birthday, Luke and Olivia...we love you bunches!!!

Just some random pics

Someone's hungry!


Say cheese!


Giving Piper some love


Those who know Piper know it is AMAZING
he is just laying there!


Luke's new ride and personal chauffeur


Guess who is boss around here =)


Olivia's first "ponytail"

Home at last

Dan made it home safely from Japan, and it was a very happy homecoming. His flight landed on time, so Luke, Olivia and myself were able to meet daddy at the airport. After a quick trip home, Dan had to jump right back into "daddy mode" because we had to give the babies their bath before bed. They were so excited to see him, and they spent most of Saturday morning just playing together. We are looking forward to spening some family time together over the next few weeks.

I think I can, I think I can

Whew, what a week we have had since Dan left! Dan left last Saturday as Luke and Olivia were on the verge of getting sick. By Sunday they both had full on colds, and by Monday we were visiting with the doctor. Dr. Colyer said neither baby had ear infections and their lungs were clear, so stick with benadryl at night and have them sleep upright. Apparently they just had a very bad cold and there wasnt' much else we could do.

Luke slept in his old car seat next to my bed, but I use the word "sleep" very lightly! He more like napped for 20 minutes, woke himself up coughing, cryed for a bit and then fell back asleep. Repeat process for several nights in a row. Olivia did a little better, but she still managed to wake herself up several times during the night. Which meant no one in the Bartlett house was getting any sleep, except for Piper the cat =)

By Wednesday, it looked as if Olivia had an irritation in her eye, so I called the after hours nurse. Four hours later (almost 9pm) I had a prescription in hand for pink eye. Thursday morning we were off to the doctor again because Olivia was feeling worse. It turned out she had a double ear infection on top of the pink eye. Luke managed to pick up a mild case of pink eye as well, but I (thankfully) have managed to dodge that bullet thus far. I have, however, had a terrible sore throat and headache, which was inevitable given all of the cooties floating around here!

Thankfully everyone seems to finally be on the mend, and if Luke could just get his last 3 molars through his sore little red gums, we would all feel much bettter. He is the slowest teether ever, and I feel so sorry for his poor mouth. I am SOOOOO appreciative of all of the family that has helped us out by picking up prescriptions, bringing us food...anything we have needed. THANK YOU! Dan gets home in 3 days, and Friday can't get here soon enough!


Don't they look just pitiful?

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day is one of the most special days of the year to me because I get to celebrate being a mommy to Luke and Olivia. They are the joy of my life, and while raising twins can be tough at times, I wouldn't trade my life for anything in the world.

Since Dan had to be in Japan on Mother's Day, we celebrated a little early. Luke and Olivia got me a beautiful Pandora bracelet and colored me the most wonderful picture. They also brought me flowers, which made the whole house bright and cheery. We celebrated the day by just hanging out and going to the park. Spending time with my babies is the most precious gift in the world. Every day truly holds a new adventure and not only are they learning more everyday, so am I.

Who knew that Luke and Olivia would be the ones teaching me a thing or two? I teach them colors, numbers, how to stack blocks, how to eat with a utensil...the basics of life. All the while they are teaching me patience, how to appreciate the simple things in life, and how to be more selfless. I have learned over the past 17 months that there really is no harder job in the world than motherhood (really, parenthood in general), but it is also hands down the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life, and I am thankful every day God chose me to be their mommy.

The precious moments of mommy-hood are moving too quickly for me, and as much as I try to freeze time, I also realize it is the process of them growing up into adulthood. I hope each day I can teach them one thing that they can carry with them as they grow from toddlers to kids to *gasp* teenagers, no matter how small the lesson may be. My love for Luke and Olivia is complete and pure, and I hope they know each and every day I am proud to be their mommy.




Love these little faces!!!

Happy Birthday Dan, and a trip to Lazy 5

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband, best friend, and amazing daddy to Luke and Olivia. We spent the day visiting Lazy 5 Ranch, a huge 240 acre petting zoo and picnic area. We had heard great things about this place, and it didn't disappoint.

There were a lot of school groups there when we first got there, so we decided to do the wagon ride to see all of the animals up close. Luke and Olivia each got a bucket of feed and sat on our laps while we rode a wagon for about 45 minutes to see all of the animals, including a rhino, giraffe, pot bellied pigs, and ostriches. Luke loved to grab handfuls of food and throw it off of the wagon while Olivia preferred to transfer her food from one bucket to another. One time an ostrich got a little too close and nipped at Olivia's hand, but luckily she was ok. After we had a picnic lunch, we went back to the petting zoo to give the animals the rest of the food we had left from the wagon trip. Olivia certainly has no fear when it comes to the animals, and we had to keep a close eye on her to make sure she didn't try to give too many hugs to the animals! Luke keeps a safe distance and had more fun playing with the animals from afar.

Luke and Olivia love being outside and they had fun exploring so many new things. After a quick nap on the way home, we got ready to go to dinner with some friends to celebrate Dan's birthday. We tried to go to On the Border, but a 2 hour wait for Cinco de Mayo made us change plans. We ended up at a place called Killington's Pub and had a nice dinner. The babies were exhausted by the time we got home and passed out in their beds immediately.

Happy Birthday, Dan!!! We love you so much!

Dan+Japan=2 Weeks apart

It's time for Dan to head to Japan again, this time for 2 weeks. Luke and Olivia have been on the verge of getting a cold, and we really hope they stay healthy while he is away. We will try to skype twice a day so the babies can see daddy often. We can't wait to pick him up at the airport on the 20th!