Our babies are becoming toddlers oh so quickly. There have been lots of changes since Luke and Olivia turned one.
One of the biggest changes has been in their language development, especially over the past few weeks. Olivia now says ball (all of the time!) momma, dadda, cheese, fish, rock, block, Lilah, Tyler, PauPaw, sweet, frog, ice, sing, woof woof, owl, bye bye, hey, out, hot, down, nite nite, ouch, see, please, and our favorite...poop! Luke will say ball (all of the time!) please, bye bye, mom, dad, cheese, Tyler, ice, woof woof, hot, bye bye, nite night, and see. They can also say more, eat and all done in sign language.
We are working on learning colors and they are great at stacking things. They absolutely love to play with balls and are fearless at the playground.
Luke and Olivia pretty much eat what we eat now, that is, when they choose to eat. Luke is going through a picky phase and isn't quite the great eater he was 6 mths ago. Olivia is a pretty good eater and is willing to try almost anything. Luke is all about looks and texture and isn't as willing to try anything if he doesn't like the look of it (forget about anything green). They love their milk and can't get enough blueberries. They go to the pantry or highchairs when they are hungry.
They are getting their incisor teeth now. Luke is still slow to cut teeth and he has 3 teeth on the verge of coming through. His bottom left just broke through the gum. Olivia has 3 incisors through her gums and her last one should be through soon.
Bathtime is one of their favorite times of day. After dinner and before bathtime, Luke and Olivia have the best time playing. We are always surprised at how much energy they have since it is the end of the day, but most days it is some of their happiest times. They know after they brush their teeth it is time for a bath, storytime and bedtime around 8pm. They are fantastic at falling asleep on their own and no longer need to be rocked or soothed to fall asleep. They do still take their pacis in the crib only and we will be working on weaning them soon. They give us and each other hugs before night night and it's the cutest thing.
We are lucky that Luke and Olivia are typically great nappers. They are happy to go to bed and love to lay in their cribs. They have moved their daily sleep/eat schedule dramatically over the past few weeks. They used to nap from about 11:30am-1:30pm and eat lunch once they woke up. Now they eat lunch around noon and nap from about 1pm-3pm. This schedule works a lot better because we can do more fun outdoor activities in the morning and they sleep during the hottest part of the day.
Luke and Olivia have become very good friends with Lilah, Tyler and Sean over the past few months, and they recognize them when they seem them now. It is so cute to see their excitement at seeing their friends.
It is crazy to think Luke and Olivia are closer to being two years old than one year old, but the past few months have been some of our best ever. This has been such a fun age and I'm so thankful I am able to spend so much time seeing them learn each day. As they say, the days are long but the weeks are short and I believe that with all of my heart. I look forward to what the next 6 months hold for us.
Monday, July 25, 2011
A camping we will go
This past Thursday-Sunday we went camping with MauMaw and PauPaw in Pigeon Forge, TN. Luckily we were in an air conditioned camper because boy, was it HOT!
We haven't traveled with Luke and Olivia in several months, and Dan and I debated about when would be the best time to leave in order to minimize any squirming in the car. We left about 10am, with the hopes they would stay awake for awhile and then doze off for their usual morning nap. Once they woke up, we would stop for lunch and then be really close to our destination. This plan worked great, except for the fact it took us FIFTY miles to find a place to stop for lunch. Crankiness ensued but not for very long and Luke and Olivia happily got out of the car to play at McDonald's for a few minutes.
We spent most of Thursday just getting unpacked and settled in. Friday morning after a home cooked breakfast (yummy!) we headed off to do some shopping at the local outlets. Shopping is so much different than it used to be, as any parent can tell you. Not only is it more difficult to navigate the aisles with a stroller, the stores we shop in have totally changed as well. I have traded Coach for Children's Place and Ann Taylor for Gymboree. We found a few things, took a couple of rides on a mini carousel, and then headed off to lunch. We were hopeful Luke and Olivia would take an afternoon nap, and we were 50% correct. Luke snoozed for a bit while Olivia was having nothing of it. We learned during our trip she is definitely a creature of habit and doesn't like her surroundings for sleep altered a bit! So we gave up and kept her entertained while MauMaw, PauPaw and Luke napped. Once they woke up, we tried to play outside for a bit but it was just too hot. So we indoors to a small area of stores and had ice cream. Yum!
Saturday we decided to tackle a flea market that was about 30 minutes from the campsite. Thankfully a lot of the area was indoors so we could walk around without melting. Not long after arriving, we spotted these little guitars with several buttons on them that sang "Old MacDonald" and various other tunes. We were quite the site with our bright orange double stroller and two VERY loud guitars. We should have put out a donation jar for all of the comments we received; we could pay for their college!
No nap for Luke or Olivia Saturday afternoon so off to McDonald's for more ice cream. We thought they would have a little indoor play area, but no luck. They had fun playing on a little ledge and sitting in various chairs. We are always amazed at how they can be entertained with just nothing.
Sunday we thought it would be nice to head about 5 miles up the road to Gatlinburg and check out the shops and possibly visit the aquarium. It is a really beautiful area and reminiscent of Helen, Ga. We walked around for a bit and went to Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. Luke and Olivia were more interested in watching the music videos on TV than they were in eating. After lunch, we decided to check out the aquarium. Apparently everyone had the same thoughts as us because the place was PACKED! Olivia was so excited and wanted to run all over the place. She learned to say "fish" and kept saying it again and again. Luke was just mesmerized by all of the animals and loved seeing the fish swim around. He definitely preferred the smaller fish and got a little nervous when the sharks swam around him. Who can blame him! It was so much fun to see their little faces light up at seeing all of the new things.
No nap AGAIN for Luke and Olivia (do you see a trend here?) so back to the small set of outlets for some indoor walking. It was just too hot to have them outside. We headed back to the campsite for dinner and to pack up for our trip home. We left about 8pm so Luke and Olivia could sleep most of the trip home. Olivia fell asleep after about 15 minutes, and Luke was asleep after about 5 minutes. Unfortunately, he didn't stay asleep and woke up every 5-10 minutes the entire way home. Whew =( I had to climb into the back seat and wedge myself in between the 2 carseats. Times like these I wish we had a minivan. We got home just a little before midnight and both babies stayed asleep as we put them in their cribs. We got the "must haves" out of the car (cooler items and high chairs) and crashed.
We had a really good time and packed a lot into 4 days. It is always nice to get away, but it is always nice to be home back into our normal routine (ie naptime!), too.
We haven't traveled with Luke and Olivia in several months, and Dan and I debated about when would be the best time to leave in order to minimize any squirming in the car. We left about 10am, with the hopes they would stay awake for awhile and then doze off for their usual morning nap. Once they woke up, we would stop for lunch and then be really close to our destination. This plan worked great, except for the fact it took us FIFTY miles to find a place to stop for lunch. Crankiness ensued but not for very long and Luke and Olivia happily got out of the car to play at McDonald's for a few minutes.
We spent most of Thursday just getting unpacked and settled in. Friday morning after a home cooked breakfast (yummy!) we headed off to do some shopping at the local outlets. Shopping is so much different than it used to be, as any parent can tell you. Not only is it more difficult to navigate the aisles with a stroller, the stores we shop in have totally changed as well. I have traded Coach for Children's Place and Ann Taylor for Gymboree. We found a few things, took a couple of rides on a mini carousel, and then headed off to lunch. We were hopeful Luke and Olivia would take an afternoon nap, and we were 50% correct. Luke snoozed for a bit while Olivia was having nothing of it. We learned during our trip she is definitely a creature of habit and doesn't like her surroundings for sleep altered a bit! So we gave up and kept her entertained while MauMaw, PauPaw and Luke napped. Once they woke up, we tried to play outside for a bit but it was just too hot. So we indoors to a small area of stores and had ice cream. Yum!
Saturday we decided to tackle a flea market that was about 30 minutes from the campsite. Thankfully a lot of the area was indoors so we could walk around without melting. Not long after arriving, we spotted these little guitars with several buttons on them that sang "Old MacDonald" and various other tunes. We were quite the site with our bright orange double stroller and two VERY loud guitars. We should have put out a donation jar for all of the comments we received; we could pay for their college!
No nap for Luke or Olivia Saturday afternoon so off to McDonald's for more ice cream. We thought they would have a little indoor play area, but no luck. They had fun playing on a little ledge and sitting in various chairs. We are always amazed at how they can be entertained with just nothing.
Sunday we thought it would be nice to head about 5 miles up the road to Gatlinburg and check out the shops and possibly visit the aquarium. It is a really beautiful area and reminiscent of Helen, Ga. We walked around for a bit and went to Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. Luke and Olivia were more interested in watching the music videos on TV than they were in eating. After lunch, we decided to check out the aquarium. Apparently everyone had the same thoughts as us because the place was PACKED! Olivia was so excited and wanted to run all over the place. She learned to say "fish" and kept saying it again and again. Luke was just mesmerized by all of the animals and loved seeing the fish swim around. He definitely preferred the smaller fish and got a little nervous when the sharks swam around him. Who can blame him! It was so much fun to see their little faces light up at seeing all of the new things.
No nap AGAIN for Luke and Olivia (do you see a trend here?) so back to the small set of outlets for some indoor walking. It was just too hot to have them outside. We headed back to the campsite for dinner and to pack up for our trip home. We left about 8pm so Luke and Olivia could sleep most of the trip home. Olivia fell asleep after about 15 minutes, and Luke was asleep after about 5 minutes. Unfortunately, he didn't stay asleep and woke up every 5-10 minutes the entire way home. Whew =( I had to climb into the back seat and wedge myself in between the 2 carseats. Times like these I wish we had a minivan. We got home just a little before midnight and both babies stayed asleep as we put them in their cribs. We got the "must haves" out of the car (cooler items and high chairs) and crashed.
We had a really good time and packed a lot into 4 days. It is always nice to get away, but it is always nice to be home back into our normal routine (ie naptime!), too.
Fun at the fountains
The babies and I met some friends for breakfast and to play in the fountains. Luke had a great time playing in the water while Olivia was a little more reserved and watched from afar. Usually she jumps right in the mix so this was unusual for her. They both had a fun time.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
A fun but busy few days
Last Friday started a whirlwind of events for us. On Friday, Aunt Lara and sweet baby Marianne arrived from Lubbock, TX to visit for a few days and help co host a baby shower for our dear friend, Sabrina. They actually flew into Raleigh the night before and drove to our house on Friday. Marianne will be one year old soon, so we weren't sure how Luke and Olivia would interact with someone younger than them. Overall, they did great and learned many lessons in sharing.
Friday we just relaxed and got everyone settled into their new surroundings. Marianne was such a trooper, especially considering all of the traveling she had been through the past few days. Once all of the babies went to sleep Friday night, it was time for Lara and me to do some prep work for Sabrina's baby shower on Saturday. Of course, we had to enjoy some yummy dessert and a glass of wine before our cooking commenced. It was nice to have some girl time to chat while we prepared some dishes for the next day.
Saturday morning Lara and I took the babies for a walk to the park so they could have some fresh air and Dan could have a break before he took over "daddy duty" for the remainder of the day. The baby shower started at 3pm, but we started getting ready for it around noon. Two other friends arrived to help set up and decorate while I started getting the rest of the food ready.
Once Luke and Olivia woke up from their naps, they, along with Marianne, went to Uncle Marc's house to hang out during the shower. There were 2 other kids there as well, so they had lots of playmates. Oh, to be a fly on the wall with 3 men and 5 babies! =)
The shower ended around 5:30pm (which was lots of fun), and after a quick clean up it was time to get all of the little ones fed. Dan was going to stay home for the evening while the girls got to go out to dinner. Thankfully all 3 babies fell asleep not long after Lara and I left for dinner, and the 5 of us girls had a lovely two and a half hour leisurely dinner. Wonderful, indeed!
Sunday morning we all went out on Sabrina and Marc's boat for a short ride and came home for lunch and naptime. I went to my sister's house to celebrate my nieces 6th birthday (Happy Birthday, Grace!). Then later that evening we went back to Sabrina's and Marc's for a cookout. The babies sat on the ground and had a picnic and it was awesome to have everyone together.
Monday we decided to tackle Lazy 5 Ranch so Marianne could see some "real" animals. It was a super hot day but Marianne, Luke and Olivia were troopers. We got to see lots of cool animals, had a picnic lunch and headed for home. That afternoon Lara and I went to the park for a short time so she could meet some of my neighborhood friends and their children.
Sadly, Tuesday came all too quickly and it was time for Lara and Marianne to head back to Raleigh. It was such a fast trip and I'm always sad when Lara leaves. We need to start planning our next visit so I have that to look forward to. Miss you already!
Trying to get a pic of our girls in matching dresses=meltdown
Friday we just relaxed and got everyone settled into their new surroundings. Marianne was such a trooper, especially considering all of the traveling she had been through the past few days. Once all of the babies went to sleep Friday night, it was time for Lara and me to do some prep work for Sabrina's baby shower on Saturday. Of course, we had to enjoy some yummy dessert and a glass of wine before our cooking commenced. It was nice to have some girl time to chat while we prepared some dishes for the next day.
Saturday morning Lara and I took the babies for a walk to the park so they could have some fresh air and Dan could have a break before he took over "daddy duty" for the remainder of the day. The baby shower started at 3pm, but we started getting ready for it around noon. Two other friends arrived to help set up and decorate while I started getting the rest of the food ready.
Once Luke and Olivia woke up from their naps, they, along with Marianne, went to Uncle Marc's house to hang out during the shower. There were 2 other kids there as well, so they had lots of playmates. Oh, to be a fly on the wall with 3 men and 5 babies! =)
The shower ended around 5:30pm (which was lots of fun), and after a quick clean up it was time to get all of the little ones fed. Dan was going to stay home for the evening while the girls got to go out to dinner. Thankfully all 3 babies fell asleep not long after Lara and I left for dinner, and the 5 of us girls had a lovely two and a half hour leisurely dinner. Wonderful, indeed!
Sunday morning we all went out on Sabrina and Marc's boat for a short ride and came home for lunch and naptime. I went to my sister's house to celebrate my nieces 6th birthday (Happy Birthday, Grace!). Then later that evening we went back to Sabrina's and Marc's for a cookout. The babies sat on the ground and had a picnic and it was awesome to have everyone together.
Monday we decided to tackle Lazy 5 Ranch so Marianne could see some "real" animals. It was a super hot day but Marianne, Luke and Olivia were troopers. We got to see lots of cool animals, had a picnic lunch and headed for home. That afternoon Lara and I went to the park for a short time so she could meet some of my neighborhood friends and their children.
Sadly, Tuesday came all too quickly and it was time for Lara and Marianne to head back to Raleigh. It was such a fast trip and I'm always sad when Lara leaves. We need to start planning our next visit so I have that to look forward to. Miss you already!
Trying to get a pic of our girls in matching dresses=meltdown
Monday, July 18, 2011
Olivia's first bee sting
Well, it didn't take long after Luke's bee sting before Olivia got to experience a sting as well. We were at the park again and got attacked by a nest. Luke got stung again on his ankle, Olivia got stung on her knee and I got stung on my leg. Our friend's little boy Tyler also got stung. Luckily everyone was ok and no one had a bad allergic reaction. The next day I took some bee and wasp killer to the park and sent the bees to "never sting my babies again" heaven.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy 4th of July
Happy 4th of July! We had a fun day with friends celebrating the day. We started out by playing in the yard before it got too hot. Then mid morning we got everyone into the car and heading to Huntersville. Birkdale Village, a great family friendly area, was having a parade and outdoor activities for kids. We met our friends Jen, Kevin and their little boy Tyler as well. As you can tell in the picure, Tyler and Olivia are quite fond of one another! Luke had a great time sliding down the bouncy house with daddy and Olivia had fun just running around. The line was too long to get their faces painted, but they did enjoy picking out a balloon to carry around.
The parade started around noon. We thought it would be like the parade we went to for St. Patrick's Day, but this one was very simple. It mainly consisted of kids dressed up walking down the street with their parents. Luke and Olivia were starting to get tired and hungry, so we decided to have lunch out at one of daddy's favorite restaurants, Jason's Deli. With full bellies and tired babies, we headed for home.
Once nap time was over, we went to our neighborhood park for awhile. We were supposed to go sit on our friends dock to watch fireworks, but it started pouring down rain around 5:30pm. We could have gone later in the evening, but we were all tired and decided to call it a day.
Here are some pics from the day:
The parade started around noon. We thought it would be like the parade we went to for St. Patrick's Day, but this one was very simple. It mainly consisted of kids dressed up walking down the street with their parents. Luke and Olivia were starting to get tired and hungry, so we decided to have lunch out at one of daddy's favorite restaurants, Jason's Deli. With full bellies and tired babies, we headed for home.
Once nap time was over, we went to our neighborhood park for awhile. We were supposed to go sit on our friends dock to watch fireworks, but it started pouring down rain around 5:30pm. We could have gone later in the evening, but we were all tired and decided to call it a day.
Here are some pics from the day:
Friday, July 1, 2011
Dada's Home
Dan is home from Japan. Yipee!!! =) I have to say, these past 2 weeks have probably been the "easiest" so far. No one got sick (except for my tonsillitis) and we stayed very busy with family and friends. Needless to say, though, we are always happy when daddy comes home and our family is complete once again.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Luke's first bee sting
Luke, Olivia and I were at the park yesterday morning and we were just about to leave when a bee stung Luke on his ankle. The little pest got him right through his sock, and he got immediate tears in his eyes. My poor little guy =( He cried for about 10 minutes before I was able to settle him down a little. I raced home and gave him some tylenol and washed it with baking soda. I know you are also supposed to put ice on it,too, but good luck doing that with an 18 month old! I kept him up from his nap for awhile to make sure he didn't have an allergic reaction, and thankfully all was better in the afternoon. Today he doesn't seem like it bothers him at all. What a tough little boy!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Neighborhood Playdate
I have become very good friends with a few girls in our neighborhood, and some days I don't know what I would do without them. Meredith has Lilah, who is 1 mth older than Luke and Olivia. Jen has Tyler, who is 2 mths older than L and O and Stacy has Sean, who is 1 mth younger than my kiddos. Needless to say, with so many kids around the same age, it's like we have out own little traveling daycare! Jen is a teacher so she is off for the summer and Stacy is a dentist but off 2 days a week. Meredith stays home like I do, and we all see each other lots...3-4 days a week sometimes. We go to Chick Fil A for ice cream and indoor cool playtime, go to the local splash parks and spend lots of time at the parks here in our neighborhood. We rotate play dates at houses and go to Discovery Place Kids together. It has been beyond wonderful to find such a great group of girls, and I love that Luke and Olivia get some playtime with other kids as well.
We also get to see Aunt B, Uncle Marc and family usually at least 1 day a week, and we look forward to those visits as well. I love sharing our time with so many wonderful people. It was SO hard for me to leave Atlanta, my friends and my career to begin a new phase of our life in NC. But everyday I am more and more thankful for what we have, and there really is nothing better than family and good friends to not only enrich Luke and Olivia's life, but mine as well.
We also get to see Aunt B, Uncle Marc and family usually at least 1 day a week, and we look forward to those visits as well. I love sharing our time with so many wonderful people. It was SO hard for me to leave Atlanta, my friends and my career to begin a new phase of our life in NC. But everyday I am more and more thankful for what we have, and there really is nothing better than family and good friends to not only enrich Luke and Olivia's life, but mine as well.
Future Basketball Stars?
Luke and Olivia are obsessed with balls lately. Basketballs, baseballs, soccer balls, bouncy balls, small plastic balls, etc. Basically they love anything that rolls and makes me have to chase after it! I understand why balls are round, but sometimes it would be nice if they were square, especially when outdoors. We even have to take a ball with us when we go to the store. Luckily they are very good about holding onto it, but couldn't they find an easier lovey? haha
Here they are playing with the new basketball goal we got for them. Notice Olivia is about to attempt to put 2 balls into the hoop. Luke loves to put the ball in the hoop over and over again. Sorry, Dan, we may have two basketball and not baseball stars in our family afterall =)
Here they are playing with the new basketball goal we got for them. Notice Olivia is about to attempt to put 2 balls into the hoop. Luke loves to put the ball in the hoop over and over again. Sorry, Dan, we may have two basketball and not baseball stars in our family afterall =)
The countdown is on!
Less than a week to go and Dan returns from Japan. Happy Dance! We had a very busy and fun weekend, but missed Daddy along the way. Yesterday I had to go to the urgent care (tonsillitis again; thanks MauMaw and PauPaw for taking care of Luke and Olivia) and then we went to Oma and Opa's house to play and have dinner. Luke and Olivia loved playing with new toys, and loved even more getting to watch a cartoon while they were eating dinner (a first treat like that for them).
This morning we played for awhile and then got an invitation to go on the lake with some friends/neighbors. So we went on the boat and played in the lake water for awhile. Once we returned home Luke and Olivia ate an early lunch, took a quick bath and took a late nap. They slept like champs, and when they woke up we had to go to the grocery store. I've been trying to go for days but it always seems something came up. Once we got home, I quickly unloaded the car and got the babies ready for a neighborhood cookout. They had a blast in the bouncy house with their friends and loved playing with all sorts of new toys. We got home just before bedtime and they were so tired they fell fast asleep. It was great to have so many wonderful friends and family help out, but we wish daddy could be here for all of the fun times, too. Soon enough...we miss you, daddy!
This morning we played for awhile and then got an invitation to go on the lake with some friends/neighbors. So we went on the boat and played in the lake water for awhile. Once we returned home Luke and Olivia ate an early lunch, took a quick bath and took a late nap. They slept like champs, and when they woke up we had to go to the grocery store. I've been trying to go for days but it always seems something came up. Once we got home, I quickly unloaded the car and got the babies ready for a neighborhood cookout. They had a blast in the bouncy house with their friends and loved playing with all sorts of new toys. We got home just before bedtime and they were so tired they fell fast asleep. It was great to have so many wonderful friends and family help out, but we wish daddy could be here for all of the fun times, too. Soon enough...we miss you, daddy!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Fun in PauPaw's Garden
PauPaw has a great garden every year and they keep us well stocked with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and other yummy veggies. Today I took Luke and Olivia over to their house so they could explore the garden and see how their food is grown. They had the best time running up and down the rows and were really good about not pulling veggies off of the vines. Their favorite part was taking veggies from one bucket and putting them in another.
It had rained the night before, so needless to say they were a muddy mess. But a quick strip down and rinse with the hose and they were ready for round 2 of playtime.
It had rained the night before, so needless to say they were a muddy mess. But a quick strip down and rinse with the hose and they were ready for round 2 of playtime.
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