Hulse & Livi

Happy Number Three!

2012-01-30T11:20:00.011-06:00

Hulse and Olivia,

Just like that you are three years old. It's amazing how quickly a year flies by. You are really not babies anymore and have moved solidly into the "kid" category. One was all new, two was lots of fun, and I'm looking forward to what three will bring.

Hulse,
You are such a boy. If it involves running, rough and tumble, and loud noise you are in. You are a fun little guy and have NO problem being the center of attention. There is really not a shy bone in your body. At your birthday party this year you and your friends sat in a circle and told your name with no hesitation you yelled "Hulseman!". I think that in a nutshell defines your persona. I hope that you are always that fearless and outgoing. It's one of the unique things God has made in you and I know he has plans for you to use that character trait. You are lanky like your dad and weigh about 31 pounds. You love to eat and some of your favorite foods right now are squash and zucchini. You enjoy playing sports of all kinds but lately you've also gotten into superheros and pretend playing with your sister. You are officially potty trained as we move into three, have no more pacifiers, and sleep in a big boy bed. Hulse, it was such fun watching you grow the past year. I can't wait to watch and see how you change this year. Happy 3rd Birthday Buddy!

Liv,
If Hulse is all boy, then you are more than all girl. You are so into all things girly, shoes, jewelry, make up, playing mommy, and pink. You are a little more shy than your brother and have to feel out a situation before you are really comfortable. But, you have a lot of little friends and seem to play well with all of them. Even though you can be shy you also have a bossy/mommy/teacher streak that can show up when you're playing. You are weighing in about 33 pounds these days and are a really good eater but can be a little picky when it comes to vegetables, but we're working on that! You are a MILK drinker and like chocolate milk as well. One of your favorite things to eat now are hamburgers, you want one all the time and can put it away if your are hungry. You like to play barbies, dolls, make believe and anything with your brother. You've been potty trained for the better part of 2, have no more paci, and sleep in your big girl bed. Olivia, you are a wonderful little girl full of sweet and sass. It's a great combination. I look forward to watching grow into three. Happy 3rd Birthday Livi Lou!

Holiday 2011

2012-01-22T20:10:00.008-06:00

I'm behind on the blog, shocker, so I'm going to just combine Thanksgiving and Christmas before I forget everything that happened.

I hosted Thanksgiving lunch this year for Trey's side of the family and had a really good time doing so. It gave me a chance to clean a little more heavily that I normally would for one thing! I had a fun time preparing for everyone and it was actually really nice to not have to load up the kids for a road trip. We had Thanksgiving dinner with my parents and then got ready to head to Branson. For years it's been the family tradition to go to Branson, when there is not a LR Razorback game, to kick off Christmas. This is the first time we've taken the kids and it was cold and rainy but fun. The kiddos are asking when we are going back so I think they liked it!

I've worked for the state for 8 years or so and I accumulate a lot of vacation time that I never use up so this year I decided to take two weeks off for Christmas. I wanted to not rush through the season and take time with Trey, the kids, and friends that I don't get to see often. It was a FANTASTIC decision. I was so relaxed and really had time to prepare my heart and home for a great Christmas. One of the things I really wanted to do was host a Birthday Party for Jesus for Hulse and Olivia's friends. They are little so it's sometimes hard to explain Jesus and how important is birth is, but almost any kid can understand a birthday party. We had a fun time playing, crafting, snacking, and celebrating the birth of Jesus. The kids went to school a couple of days before Christmas so I could run errands and finish last minute stuff and then before we knew it Christmas eve was here.

My mother in law asked to keep the kids the night before Christmas eve and that worked out really well. We got to take them down to Pine Bluff and have a little Christmas celebration without the rush and let the kids just enjoy the fun. It also allowed Trey and I to confer with Santa on last minute details! Christmas eve is always our crazy night since we travel to three places in one night, but it was fun and wore the kids totally out. Christmas morning the kids woke up, late after sleeping in, to just what they asked for. Hulse wanted a Razorback football helmet and Olivia wanted a Barbie. They must have been good because Santa brought just what they asked for and more! He even left a trampoline in the back yard. We had a good breakfast and just played and played until the kids asked for a nap! We had Christmas dinner with my mom, dad, and grandfather and the kids got to open some more presents. Trey took off the week following Christmas and we just spent a lot of time at home and out doing fun stuff. The weather was beautiful and the kids got to test out that trampoline quite a bit. It was a wonderful Christmas season this year. It was fun, restful and full of the love of Christ which is the beautiful reason we celebrate.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T14:25:00.000-05:00

Hulse and Olivia,
This year for Halloween you choose to be Mickey and Minnie Mouse! We started all of our fun with the fall festival at church. You got to wear your costumes, play games, win prizes, see your buddies, and have hot dogs and popcorn.

You also had a party at school and got to take candy to your school friends. You made some Halloween crafts and ate some fun treats there as well. While you were getting dressed in your costumes your Nana, Mamaw, and cousin Asher came by to see you. We took a lot of pictures and got ready to go out trick-or-treating. We went over to Gigi and Papaw's neighborhood to trick-or-treat and there were kids everywhere! You got the hang of ringing doorbells and getting that candy! You also said thank you a lot which made me a happy mom. You had a ton of fun and were good and sugared up when we were done. It was a great Halloween!

Fall 2011

2011-11-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

August through the beginning of December is a busy time at our house. Football, school activities, Halloween, and Thanksgiving keep us on our toes.

Our whole family (Liv included) went to our first family Razorback game. Liv got a little bored with the game but really enjoyed riding the bus to the game, walking around the stadium, and hanging out at the motorhome. The Hogs beat Auburn and we had a great time.

The kids got a taste of fair rides at a friend's birthday party, so we knew they would like the fair. We took them one morning on kids-ride-free day, and they had a blast riding with thier buddy, Q. Hulse liked the petting zoo - Liv isn't really into animals - and they both loved their corndog lunch. After their naptime we went out to a pumpkin patch in Mayflower and enjoyed the beautiful Fall weather. We rode out to the patch, and the kids picked out some primo pumpkins. It was a fun day with family and friends.

Hulse's First Razorback Game

2011-10-05T14:30:00.005-05:00

Hulse man,
Your daddy took you to your first Razorback football game on 9/17/11. You had a blast! You got to ride the bus to the game, see the band and the players come onto the field, pet Tusk! and cheer on those Hogs! You called the Hogs which is always a favorite cheer but you also got to do the first down cheer. When the announcer yelled "It's another Arkansas Razorback", the crowd responded with "First Down." You, however, decided to wait a few seconds before your first down so that everyone could hear! We'll work on that timing buddy! I'm so glad you had a good time and I can't wait to take you (and your sister) to many more games.

Destin 2011 - Chicken Nuggets in Paradise

2011-10-05T14:04:00.010-05:00

I've been so busy since the end of summer that I've been putting off this post, but I want to get it down before I forget what we actually did. Our summer vacation this year was a fantastic trip to sunny Destin Florida. We went with some good friends who have a little girl and they were excellent traveling companions. We loved hanging out with them and having no other agenda than to rest and eat good food! Vacation is such a gift for us. It allows Trey and I to slow down our normal pace, reconnect with each other and let the kids deviate from their schedule a bit. Normally when we are away I'm ready to be home, but this time if there hadn't been a tropical storm brewing I could have moved on in for the duration!

Things I don't want to forget:
-Nothing like discovering your child might be car sick in the pitch black early morning. Also note that Dramamine could make your child almost fall asleep in mid-sentence.
-The traffic design in Mobile is bananas.
-There is NOTHING like crossing over the bay bridge and smelling that air, ahhhh vacation.
-Villa Coyaba, our place of residence, might have been nicer than my home. Just saying.
-The kids loved the water the first couple of calm days. It was glassy and crystal clear. We got some good ocean time in those first two days.
-You can own/pack too many sand toys.
-We had so many great meals. Thank you: Crab Trap, The Back Porch, AJ's, Louisiana Langinappe, The Donut Hole, and Red Bar. (I think that got them all!)
-The kids ate shrimp for the first time and no one's throat closed up!
-It was so nice to be able to stay up late and have good conversation with very funny friends! We love you guys!
-There is nothing better than a beach nap. Also, nothing better than a good book and an ocean view.
-Trey and John decided to brave the red flag waves one afternoon. It was a comedy show to watch them get pummled from the balcony. No real casualities other than a skinned knee, crab attack & hat.

We had the best time making memories on this trip! Thank you Lord for good times, good friends, our children & the majesity of your creation!

Bad Blogging!

2011-08-01T14:38:00.011-05:00

I have been a really lazy blogger as of late so I thought I would catch up with a great Summer post. We've been doing a lot of indoor activities this Summer because it's hot as blazes here. Hulse and Olivia have been coloring, cooking and playing inside a lot. We've also gotten to do some extra fun things like going to the Wonder Place, the library to check out some books and of course to the pool at Papaw and Gigi's house. Hulse and Olivia have really taken to the water this year and love to jump and swim with their floaties. In fact, we hosted a swim party for our Sunday school class and after most of the folks were gone Hulse decided to take a leap into the pool with no flotation device. Trey did a dive and rescue and it was less than 10 seconds, but adrenaline producing none the less. We may have to do some swim lessons now!

We also had a very special first when we went to see our very first movie in the theater. We saw Winnie the Pooh and it was so precious. For those classic Disney folks, it's a must see. Hulse was transfixed the entire hour and Olivia didn't get restless until the very end. The most exciting thing that has happened this Summer is that Olivia is completely potty trained (Hallelujah chorus!). She has done SO well and we are very proud of her. Hulse is working hard but not quite there yet.

Summer is coming to a close and now we're shifting back into school mode around our house. The kids start a new class at school in a couple of weeks so we will be learning a new routine. They also start a new Sunday School class and a new Wednesday night program at church. It should be an exciting transition into the fall. I don't know about you but I'm ready for some cooler weather and some football!

Pee Pee Proclaimation

2011-06-28T09:55:00.004-05:00

Let it be known that on June 27, 2011, Olivia Hankins wore her big-girl panties to school and made it all day with no accidents!

Way to go girl!

Happy 8 Years!

2011-06-27T15:03:00.006-05:00

Hulse and Olivia,

Eight years ago I married your daddy. Someday, if you're interested I'll tell you the whole story, but for now there are a few things I wanted you to know about dad. Your dad is a wonderful husband to me. He's a spiritual leader, provider, protector and a great friend. He blesses me everyday with his wit and wisdom and makes sure we are all taken care of. I hope that one day when you find the partner God has picked out for you that they will have the ability to bless you like being married to your dad has blessed me. The eight years we've been married (and almost 18 that we've been together) have been fun, challenging, always changing and forever precious to me. I promise to work hard on being married to Dad for many more years so we can be a testimony to the power of God's faithfulness for you both. He's given me lots of gifts while we've been together and they have all been great, but the most awesome thing he has even given me is the chance to be your mom.

Happy 8 years Trey. Love you more everyday.
Jenn

First School Performance

2011-05-26T13:47:00.004-05:00

Our daycare has an end of the year program. It's really to let the pre-k kids "graduate", but they let the little ones have their time in the spotlight as well. Hulse and Olivia's class sang "If You're Happy and You Know It". I have to admit it was pretty cute, but I can't get my mind around the fact that I have children old enough for a school performance! If you can forgive the amateur video and commentary their debut is below.

Easter Weekend 2011

2011-04-25T13:53:00.001-05:00

Friday, Trey and I were both off, and the kids were out of school. So we took the day for some family time. Olivia was in dire need of her first haircut, so we took her and Hulse that morning to Pigtails and Crewcuts. That place is so cute and the kids did a great job getting trimmed up. They both looked super cute after their cuts! I went to lunch with my mom and then we both got pedicures that afternoon. After dinner we went to a local park then to Key West for some yogurt.

Saturday morning we went to the egg hunt that our kid's ministry at church does, and it's always a fun time. Hulse isn't really into collecting eggs as much as he is getting an egg and immediately opening it to eat what's inside. Olivia is a collector by nature, so she loves to gather eggs and get them in her basket. She's also a candy fanatic and wants to eat her treasures as soon as she can. After we hunted all we could we went to lunch with our friends, the Clinton's, then headed home for a nap. Saturday night we had our first egg-dyeing experience. Hulse and Olivia got to pick their colors, put their eggs in, and check to make sure the color was to their liking! We got through it with no major spills and no permanently colored hands, so I consider it a success. Saturday night after the kiddos were asleep the Easter bunny made a stop by the house and left some great treats!

Sunday morning I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast, the kids checked out their bunny loot, and we got gussied up for Easter service. I enjoyed praising Jesus for His sacrifice and the chance to praise Him that He is the Resurrection and the Life! After lunch we headed to take the kids to see my grandfather at the hospital, then to Jacksonville for lunch with Trey's family. After more egg hunting and lunch, the kids crashed for a couple of hours before we went to dinner with my parents.

It was an action-packed, fun-filled Easter weekend. I've always loved the "newness" that Easter brings. Every day is a day to reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus provided for all humanity on the cross, but Easter is a time for the body of Christ to collectively acknowledge that without the grace of the cross we are dead to sin.

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God." II Corinthians 5:21

Draw us to the cross

2011-04-22T14:07:00.001-05:00

"¹ On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”

Luke 24:1-7

Our God is Greater

2011-04-16T21:41:00.007-05:00

Isn't if funny that God always positions us to receive exactly the messages He wants us to hear, even when we're not trying to hear it? Several months ago I saw an ad for a Living Proof Live event with Beth Moore in Little Rock. I had been to one previously and thought that would be a good girls weekend for our Sunday school class. I was ready for a fun night out and God was ready to speak to me in a big way! Let me tell you that Travis Cottrell is AMAZING and if you get the privilege to have him lead you in worship take it. Two words into the first song and I just felt my desire to worship God pour out like a floodgate had been opened. I've been very disconnected in corporate worship for a while and I guess God wanted me to know just how much my soul has missed being abandoned to the Holy Spirit. That set the tone for the rest of the conference and it was so exciting to be poured out before the Lord. I've had a lot of disappointment and hurt in areas of my life that I never expected to and I haven't really asked God to heal me. I didn't even know I needed healing! As soon as Beth began to speak about putting down the disappointments and hurt my mind just began to swim with the feelings I've been pushing down.

Lord, I am thankful to you that you caught me unsuspecting. You just invaded my heart with my defenses down and I cannot say thank you enough. Lord, you have been my portion and strong tower and I'm thankful that you let me run to you. Thank you God that you are the only one in whom I can find fulfillment and that You are so willing to pour out your Spirit on me. Lord, I look forward to what You have next for me, even if it means hardship I know You mean it for good. I want you to work in me to the renown of Christ alone. Amen.

Happenings

2011-03-15T13:39:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I've done a "real" post so I figured we were due. Hulse and Olivia are rocking right along into their two's with no problems. They are learning so many colors, numbers, shapes, songs, letters, and on and on. I love to hear them sing a new song or count to a new number. Of course, they are my kids but I think they are genuises!

It's so great to be able to have a conversation with them and know what they are thinking and feeling. We've had some discipline issues but nothing any other two year old isn't doing. Trey and I are just incredibly blessed to have such great kiddos. We're just gearing up for spring/summer and some time outside.

I've been involved in Bible Study Fellowship since the fall and I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to it and encourage you to get plugged in if you had the chance. I began praying at the end of last summer for God to renew in me the desire to dig into His word, not for knowledge, but to have the chance to know Him more. He answered that prayer in a big way by leading me to BSF through a co-worker. The study format is provided by BSF international and we meet in a small group once a week. We also hear a lecture on the material as well. I have been blessed ten-fold from the word God has provided to me in Isaiah. If you're not plugged into a group study I urge you to investigate BSF in your area. All of that to say, I've so many of my friends and family on my heart who are in difficult situations and who have been so faithful to depend on God even in the midst of difficulty. This week with the devestation in Japan He's been speaking to me again. God has used Isaiah to point me to His Sovreignity and the fact that God is always working for good for His people. He can use a difficult situation to magnify His glory even when we can't see Him through the devestation all around us.

The Loves of My Life!

2011-02-14T11:12:00.009-06:00

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

The Two of You are Two!

2011-01-25T12:13:00.043-06:00

I cannot believe it's time for me to write this post, but it's true, my babies are two. I've been thinking about the last year and marveling over the changes that have happened from one to two. I felt like getting through the first year was such a milestone and now I can't even remember where the year went! Trey and I feel so grateful and blessed to have been chosen as the caretakers of such wonderful children. He has been so faithful to be with us on this journey through parenting, and we pray His continued presence over our children for the coming years.

Hulse,
My firstborn, son, funny man, and drama king! You are all boy and your favorite things to do involving, running, jumping, constant motion, and anything you play with a ball.

You are smart as a whip and have been talking in complete sentences/ paragraphs for a while now. You can count, know your shapes and colors, sing all kinds of songs, and have a pretty articulate vocabulary for a toddler. You are the leader between you and your sister. You are the first one to decide what to play and can get Olivia to follow you around with no problem. You're not overly protective of her yet, probably because she tends to be a bully, but I'm thinking that will come in time. You love to eat, and we very rarely have a problem getting you to eat what's on your place and try new things. You love kid food of course, but you also like to eat red meat, zucchini, and any pasta dish. You love music and really like to sing and dance. You also like to color and work puzzles, and you love to read! You are a big fan of the Sesame Street characters and like to watch Elmo and the gang on TV. You are into dinosaurs right now and like to watch a show on TV called Dinosaur Train. You are a sweet baby boy, but you do have a tender heart and can be pretty emotional at times when things don't go your way. I think this is a combination of your age and your personality. You're our favorite boy, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for you. Your dad and I want you to know that we are praying for you always, rooting you on in whatever you want to do, and we love you like crazy! Happy 2nd Birthday.

Olivia,
Sister, my sweet girl, and total mess! You are an absolute joy to be around and are the funniest little girl. You like all things girl, but can also enjoy wrestling with your brother.

You are also a smarty pants and say your ABC's, count, know your colors (this has been interesting since everything started with green and pink), shapes, and can talk up a storm. You still like to talk in your own language a lot but you can be sure you're saying whatever it is with feeling! You like to play with your kitchen and cook food. You enjoy getting your baby in the stroller and roaming the house (always with a purse of some sort on your arm). You love jewels and always want a bracelet or necklace on. You are like your brother and like to sing and dance. You are a big reader as well and would read your whole library in a sitting if we let you. You are making lots of progress with the potty training. You will tell us when you need to tee tee and go right in and potty, still a work in progress but it's coming along. You can take a licking and keep on ticking so it takes a lot for you to cry but you can throw a nice little fit when you get upset. Terrible twos maybe? You are our favorite girl and the world better watch out for you! Dad and I are praying that you will follow after Him and experience His love and grace. We know you have a bright future ahead and we can't wait to see what it holds. Love you to the moon and back! Happy 2nd birthday.

Newborn

1-Year-Olds

2-Year-Olds

Christmas Recap

2011-01-03T11:53:00.008-06:00

We had a great Christmas this year. It's so much fun to watch the kids get so excited (to the point of overload!) about all of the fun. I know that it will always be a time we cherish at our home.
We started off the celebrations in Pine Bluff with Trey's family and my extended family. My kids are social creatures and I think they really loved being around all the people. Olivia really got into opening gifts while Hulse just wanted to play with everything he opened immediately. We also made a stop in to see my grandparents and I so enjoyed getting to spend some time with them. After a LONG night we headed back to our house for Santa to come. He didn't disappoint and I guess both the babies made the nice list. We had a relaxed morning at our house and I really enjoyed letting the kids just play without having to run somewhere. We had Christmas with my parents that night and again just got to enjoy the kiddos. Sunday we finished up with merriment with a trip to Trey's grandparents. We were tired and glad to have some time off after it was all over. I was off the week after Christmas and really enjoyed keeping the kids at home and spending some much needed downtime with them.
Trey always does a great job with my gifts, but he really outdid himself this year. My hands down favorite gift was the chance to sponsor a child through Compassion International. I've been really feeling God pushing me to some kind of action involving children. I haven't felt like he's calling me to adoption or fostering, but He calls all of His children to care for one another. We have an addition to the Hankins house named Moises and I honestly can't wait to correspond with him. I would urge you to check out the Compassion site and see the work that they are doing and pray about the part God might have to play in the life of someone else. http://www.compassion.com/
This year, more than any other, I found myself thinking of Mary and Joseph and that little baby in the manger. This has been a year of great spiritual renewal for me and God has been teaching me so many lessons. He's been preparing my heart to deal with situations that have come up in a way that honors Him and reminds me that He's my constant above all else. People may fail me, but He never will. His grace was my constant companion this Christmas season and I am so grateful.

Merry Christmas 2010!

2010-12-20T16:13:00.003-06:00

It has been a busy season at our house with Thanksgiving going by quickly and Christmas knocking at the door.

Our family would like to take the opportunity to wish your and yours a Merry Christmas. In all the hustle and bustle take some time this year to focus on the incredible gift that our Savior sent. Stay in your jammies, eat an extra cookie, watch It's a Wonderful Life, and stay a little closer to those you hold dear.

Very Merry,
The Hankins Family

October 2010

2010-11-01T12:31:00.019-05:00

We have had a full and happy October in the Hankins house. I feel like we have been so busy, and I know it's all just the start to a busy holiday season. October means the Arkansas State Fair in Little Rock, and we loaded up the kids and went one night after work. We strolled around and checked out the cows, goats, pigs, rabbits, ducks, and some other livestock I'm sure I'm missing. The babies also had fun being mesmerized by the rides, lights, and music. I think it's safe to say they had never been anywhere quite like that before. You can't really do the fair without fair food, and we had a polish sausage, a hot dog stuffed inside of a tater twister, some pizza, and some fried Hershey kisses and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They were divine!

Our friend's the McKinney's had a fantastic Harry Potter-themed Halloween party at their house, and Hulse and Olivia had fun running around with their friends. The food and decor were awesome, and we can't wait for a repeat party. The kids also had a fun party at daycare with all of their school friends and got some good candy and treats.

Our family enjoyed going to the pumpkin patch for the first time as well. We played, looked at the animals, took the hayride out to the patch, picked our pumpkin, and just enjoyed good weather and a special mid week trip.

We also got to do Boo at the Zoo this year for the first time. It was fun with lots of activities for the kiddos, but their favorite thing was the train ride. Hulse is really into all forms of transportation right now so he loved to ride the choo choo. We saw lots of cute costumes and of course got some candy!

The highlight of October was the Halloween night trick or treating. This was the babies' first trick or treat, and it was really fun. They were of course precious in their Pebbles and Bam Bam costumes and had a blast getting candy. We didn't ever really get the timing of saying "Trick or Treat" down, but that didn't stop them from digging into the sugar when the time came.

Hulse and Olivia are at a fun and challenging age right now. October was month 21 for them, and we're getting so close to 2 I can't believe it! They are talking in sentences now and can pretty much tell you whatever it is they need. The problem is if they don't get what they "need" right then, meltdown mode comes quickly. We even had our first public meltdown at the pumpkin patch! That's always fun for mom and dad! It's really amazing to me how self sufficient they've become, and now we can just let them entertain us and themselves for the most part. They are so funny, and we just love being their mommy and daddy.

Long Time No Blog!

2010-10-05T13:01:00.010-05:00

I really haven't even been that busy so I have no excuse for no updates! Since we last chatted the babies have turned 20 months old. We're well on our way to having double the 2 years olds in our house and that should be an interesting time in all of our lives!

Football season in our household is a busy time. Trey and I are lifelong Hog fans and Trey graduated from UCA so we also support those Bears. It seems like from now until December every weekend is full with travel to a game or plans to watch at home. I wouldn't have it any other way but it does make for craziness from time to time. The babies have learned their own version of the hog call and have the Whoo Pig part down pat. They can also tell you what a bear says with the growling and bear claws. We had to make sure they were ready to cheer!

Another time of excitement for me has come with joining BSF and studying the book of Isiah. One of the clinicians at work told me about BSF and I had been praying about a new area of study and the timing was just perfect. I love my small group and have already been blessed by God through the study of his word. If you ever get a chance to be a part of a BSF study I would recommend it. The commitment can be a little intimidating but already the reward has been so great!

Of course, I can't wrap up without sharing about my trip to Hogwarts. I'm a huge reader and got on to the Harry Potter series a little late but totally fell in love with the characters, story, and movies. It's one of my favorite book/movie series of all time and I share that love with several other of my girlfriends. When we all heard that Universal in Orlando was creating a HP theme park we knew we wanted to go and amazingly it all worked out for us to be able to do that. We went the last week in September and it was a perfect trip. Great weather, great fellowship, no lines, and HP, what could be better?

I guess that is all of the excitment I can think of sharing and by now the two of you left reading are so glad I'm done!

Keeping Cool

2010-08-21T14:11:00.005-05:00

Toddler I

2010-08-21T14:02:00.004-05:00

A couple of posts ago we mentioned that Hulse and Olivia would be moving up to the toddler I class at daycare and Thursday was the big day. We had already gone to an open house so they could see their room and their teachers. They moved up with most of the kiddos from their previous class and the first 2 days they got good reports. They even slept well on their nap mats. Such big kids! They got to take their new backpacks (which is a new favorite word) and school supplies. They are growing up before our eyes.

Where the Wild Things Are

2010-08-09T09:19:00.014-05:00

In July when we took the kids to the alligator farm in Hot Springs they seemed to really like the animals so we have been wanting to take them to the zoo since then. However, when the temperature is vacillating between hell and spontaneous combustion a trip to the zoo quickly gets pushed to the back burner. This past weekend it was going to be a balmy 95 so on a whim we decided to go. I'm so glad we did because it was really fun. We tried to go early in the morning so that the animals would be up and about before it got hot in the afternoon and we did a pretty good job. Hulse and Olivia got to see: monkeys, camels, birds, tigers, lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros, bears, deer/antelope like creatures, an anteater, and the extremely rare squirrel. I'm hoping this will be the first of many trips to the zoo.

Moving on up

2010-07-28T20:53:00.003-05:00

So, a week or so ago, we were notified that Hulse and Livi were being promoted at daycare from "transition nursery" to "Toddler 1." Jennifer is taking it pretty well.

The new class means that there are no more cribs. They sleep on a mat in the floor. We'd love to see the first attempt at a nap where they just try to get them to lay down on the floor, outside of a cage.

Anyway, the other thing that we found out was that Toddler 1 also comes with a school supply list. They don't promote until the middle of August, but Jennifer has been so excited about the school supplies that we had to make a trip to Walmart . . . with a camera.

A Year and a Half Already?

2010-07-26T10:51:00.011-05:00

From July 2010

I'm pretty sure I just got done putting up your birthday post, so how can you already be halfway to 2? You are such big kids now I can't even really call you babies anymore. You're running, talking, and playing just like big kids. We've had a really great summer swimming, traveling, relaxing, and growing by leaps and bounds. You had your shots in June and weighed within an ounce of one another at 25 pounds each.

Hulse, you have really lost some of your baby look and rolls so I think your sister caught up with you in the weight department a little. You also measured at the same height although your dad and I think Hulse is a little bit taller.

From July 2010

Your vocabularies have really taken off. Words that you can say:

momma
daddy
pappaw
gigi
nana (works for nana and banana, but we'll only count it once)
NO!
hi/hey
bye-bye
go (we promise she once said "where did it go?" or atleast that's what it sounded like.)
Elmo (melmo)
Abby (babby)
boat (usually repeated as "boat boat")
eat
grape (gape)
cheese (the dairy product and instantly upon seeing a camera)
diaper
shoe
hat (at)
papi (paci/pacifier)
duck
fish (pish)
turtle
mo-mo (mower)
choo-choo
cookie (as in food and the monster)
baby
ball
dog (whoo-whoo, doggie)
kitty
bird
book
car
bubble
light (usually without the L)
poo-poo
tee-tee
airplane
tractor (tactor)
nose
ear
teeth
eye (they can identify many others, but they don't say them)

You're both still great eaters and love pasta with red sauce, meatballs, and FRUIT! Olivia you especially like blueberries and can put away a ton if we let you!

From July 2010

Our Staycation

2010-07-13T11:31:00.025-05:00

This year we decided to do a low-key trip to Hot Springs with our friends and their little boy. J is about 3 weeks older than Hulse and Olivia, so they really are at the same stages and can play together. I took off all week and had some mom-only time, and then we left Thursday morning.

We rented a condo on Lake Hamilton, and it was really nice. We had a quick BBQ lunch and then headed to the grocery store for some essentials. The babies took afternoon naps and then we headed down to the pool. I'm so glad all the babies love water, and they had a good time "swimming" around. We worked up quite an appetite and went to Rod's that night for some pizza. It was sooo good and the kids loved watching the train go around the restaurant.

Friday we slept in and woke up to a little bit of a rainy day, but we decided to go downtown and walk around for a while. We browsed several cute shops and found a really cute toy store. The kids got some new puzzles, balls, and a new book.

After lunch and nap time the weather looked a little better so we decided to load the kids up and try our luck at Magic Springs. The water park part of Magic Springs has a couple of kiddie areas that we tried out. Our friend J loved it, but our kiddos weren't sold on it. I think the water was too cold (our baby kryptonite) for them, and it was kind of overload for them.

We got dry, grabbed some dinner and went over to the attraction side of the park. Hulse and Olivia got to ride their first official rides. They did the train, Ferris wheel, carousel, and seemed to really like them all. We walked around the park some more and closed it down. Not too bad for our first theme park experience. Disney here we come! On the way home we had to stop for ice cream and found this local place that makes their own, it was AWESOME!

Friday and Saturday folks start streaming into Hot Springs, so traffic and trying to eat somewhere was crazy. More sleeping in on Saturday morning, and then we decided to try out the Alligator Farm. The place has been in HS since 1902 and was really the first "attraction" in the area other than the bath houses.

They have a petting zoo with goats, deer, and a couple of donkeys. Hulse and J liked the goats and fed them if they weren't being too aggressive. Olivia, on the other hand, is going through a phase where she's not too sure about dogs, cats, etc, and she was not having any thing to do with the animals. She did seem to like them if they were on the other side of the fence!

They have an indoor area where the animals live in winter and you can touch a baby alligator. Outside are the alligator pens and some other animals. We tried to stick around for the alligators to have lunch, but the kids were hot, hungry, and tired by that time so we went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant near the condo, Jose's. It was so delicious. They had the best homemade punch and avocado dip. We hit the pool again that afternoon, and then had dinner at Purple Cow.

On our way out of town on Sunday morning we went to Garven Woodland Gardens. I've never been, and it was a really cool place. Of course, this late in the summer not a ton of stuff is in bloom, but the waterfalls, bridges, and plants were gorgeous. They have a miniature train garden that Hulse thought was great and said "Choo-Choo" all afternoon. I would love to take them back at Christmas for the lights and in the Spring while the tulips and azaleas are in bloom. The bottom fell out just as we were leaving, and we were drenched by the time we got to the car.

All good things must come to an end, so we headed home, stopping for lunch at Browns' in Benton.

We had a fantastic, relaxing , fun time with our kids and friends. It was nice to be able to get away and be home in an hour at the same time!

(There are many more pictures on Jenn's Facebook.)

Firecracker Fourth

2010-07-06T22:33:00.007-05:00

I really love the 4th of July. I can remember growing up we would spend all day at the pool, and they would have races, games, a carnival, and a fireworks show at night! Nothing fancy, just an all American summer day. With the 4th falling on a Sunday this year, we did most of our celebrating on Saturday. We grilled out with my parents and grandfather and had some fantastic burgers and homemade ice cream.

What a difference a year makes with the kids. Last year they were only 6 months old, but this year they are running around the yard in and out of the pool! They had a blast in the water. We went home, got the kids in their jammies and then took them to the Maumelle fireworks show.

The 4th in Maumelle is a big deal, and they have a parade, a little festival, and of course fireworks. We got a prime viewing spot (total luck) and were right under the action. The kids seemed to love it and were totally mesmerized. Hulse and Liv both were pointing and saying boom and woah. They weren't scared, and I think they thought it was pretty cool.

Sunday we slept in (Yeah for 10:30 church service), got dressed in our red, white, and blue, and went to a great God and Country service at church. One of my favorite things we do every year is the song that features the branches of the military. I just love seeing the legacy of men and women who fought for our freedom. I'm a sappy patrotic person, and I really do get a lump in my throat when we sing the Star Spangled Banner. It always makes me thank God for the freedom I have in this country and the liberation I have in Him from sin. Hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend.

16 and 17 Months

2010-06-26T21:36:00.009-05:00

Ok, so I'm combining months! I busy, what can I say. I have to say this is really a fun age with Hulse and Olivia. They just have so much personality and are literally learning to do or say something new everyday. We've had a touch of a stomach bug and some molar cutting, but (knock on wood) it's been a good spring/summer. We've been swimming, playing outside, hanging out with friends/family, and loving long (hot) days.

Trey and I are also celebrating 7 years of wedded bliss. It has been a fantastic 7 years if I do say so. We're not perfect and a marriage takes a lot of work, but the blessings from God have been too numerous to count. Trey and I both give God the glory for our success. I love you Trey. You're a wonderful man of God, husband, and father. I look forward to what God has in store for us for our 8th year, and I'm praying he'll challenge and strengthen our relationship.

16 Months

Kisses

17 Months

Bad Blogging!

2010-06-15T11:39:00.011-05:00

I know, I know! I'm a terrible blogger. We've just been so busy enjoying our long days of sunshine that I've been neglecting the blog.

Everything is great around our house. Hulse and Liv are not only growing but learning something new everyday. Hulse loves to say words and is great about repeating words or trying to say new words when prompted. Olivia's vocabulary has really taken off as well. She's starting to make lots of different sounds and say lots of new words as well. They are both eating really well and are right in the middle percentile for weight. They LOVE pasta, especially with red sauce. They both also love fruit and Sprite is also a big treat. The only things they really won't eat are macaroni and cheese (Hulse) and they are not big on red meat. They also are still undecided on ice cream, which is totally crazy, but I think they are just not used to the cold.

We've been out and about a lot lately. My parents took the motor home down to Riverfest so we met them down there a couple of times over Memorial Day weekend to eat. The babies also got to see their first fireworks show and seemed to like it despite being kept up past the bedtime! Trey and I have been out of town lately for a couple of big kid trips so the kids also got to go swimming for the first time with their Nana and Papaw. Olivia has no fear and swam right in, but Hulse needs some convincing that it's fun to float around in water that's not as warm as a bathtub. We're planning a mini vacation with our friends, the Peoples, so I'm sure we'll have more updates to come.

In non-baby news, I wanted to recommend a book I've been reading lately that God is really using to challenge me. It's called Radical:Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. The book was written by a pastor named David Platt. I've been in a place of disillusionment with people lately, and God has really been challenging me to look at who He is to me and what my response to Him should be. It's a challenge to me because I've been blessed by God in so many ways and my role in showing the love of Jesus is to help those who haven't been so fortunate. As a Christian I really can't say that I haven't been called to help those around me, because that's what loving Jesus is all about. I could go on and on, but you should pick it up for yourself.

Updating the previous post

2010-05-07T10:35:00.005-05:00

So, in the last post where Jennifer said:

"The babies love to be outside and the backyard has been the go to lately."

That's all been changed now. . .

Wow. Look at those awesome bird feeders in our backyard. We should really clean the smudge off our window. What’s that? It’s not a smudge?

I hope it scared all of you as much as it scared me this morning when I was cutting up bananas for breakfast! AH!

15 Months, You came too Quickly!

2010-05-07T10:35:00.001-05:00

We've been doing a lot of playing outside at our house. The babies love to be outside and the backyard has been the go to lately. We've also been to a couple of parks and played on the swings and slides. We have really been enjoying the weather before it gets too hot to stand. Hulse and Olivia are not just walking but running everywhere and talking up a storm, there are new words everyday. They have been growing up in front of our eyes! Here are some recent pictures.

15 Months!

2010-05-06T16:40:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T21:43:00.015-05:00

We had a blast with the babies this weekend. It's been a tough week at our house. I've been sick with some sort of virus since last Monday and really have felt like death warmed over all week. But, with Easter coming I wanted to focus on preparing my heart for Sunday and trying to really introduce Christ's death and resurrection to the kids.

We have a really great book called "The Jesus Storybook Bible" by Sally Lloyd-Jones. I love the language of the paraphrasing and the illustrations are phenomenal. We decided to read a portion of the passion week story every night for our bedtime story. I know they are too young to understand any of it, but I just pray that God would already begin to take root in their little hearts and lives.

In other preparations for Easter, we got the baskets and the plastic eggs out this week so they could practice their egg-hunting abilities. Hulse is pretty into it because he loves to play with balls and a dozen eggs is like ball heaven to him. Olivia loves to pack and re-pack things so she practiced putting eggs in the basket and taking them out, over and over again. The weather was beautiful on Saturday and they had a big time at our church's egg hunt. It was so neat to see so many of our friends there with their families celebrating together. We started Easter morning with a visit from the bunny before we got gussied up and headed to church. After church we headed to be with family for lunch and more egg hunting. All-in-all, it was a pretty fantastic weekend to focus on the cornerstone of our faith,the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins and the fact that we serve a risen living Savior!

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3:10-11

Thank You Jesus.

2010-04-02T15:34:00.002-05:00

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed."
Isaiah 53:5

Airport Photos

2010-03-28T21:27:00.013-05:00

For the baby's first birthday we had some professional photos taken by a great photographer, Danielle Davis. You can check out her work at danielledavisartphotography.com

Here are the GREAT shots from our session!

13 AND 14 Months

2010-03-28T20:54:00.018-05:00

So, I'm a bad blogger but we've been in fast forward at the Hankins House! Hulse and Olivia are growing like weeds. We went to the doctor today for their one year appointment (just a couple of months late!) and here are the stats from their visit.

Hulseman,
You're weighing in at 24 pounds 12 ounces (60th%) and are 30 inches long (25th%). You are turning into a very hilarious little man. You are so smart and love to talk. You are trying to repeat everything your Dad and I say. Your real words are: Dada, Mama, Papaw, Uh-oh, book, duck, bye, hi, ball and thank you. (There have even been reports of you saying "Wivia" and Cracker. We think we've heard a Wivia every once in a while, but we can't be certain.) You are a typical boy and play rough so you constantly look like a prize fighter, much to the dismay of your mom. You love to run around and play with your friends and with your sister. You are a great eater. There is really nothing that you don't like, except milk. You're not really into drinking your milk at meal time. You are a precious little boy and make your mom and dad laugh every day. We love you to the moon and back!

Livi girl,
You are a whopping 23 pounds 5 ounces (75th%), and they measured you at the same 30 inches (50th%) - although we can see that your brother is slightly taller by 1/2 an in or more. You're a sweetie pie! You are all girl, until it comes time to wrestle with your brother and then you're in it to win it. You also love to talk but tend to stick to your own words. You do say dada, mama, uh-oh, and bye. You are also a really great eater but unlike your brother you LOVE your milk. You have no problem putting a sippy cup full of it away. You are our sweet baby girl and are a joy to your dad and I. We love you to the moon and back!

Yes, we know they are wearing the same PJs. It wasn't intentional, and we even remembered before we took the 14-month picture. But we decided to go with it anyway. We could always add those pajamas to each picture during year two to see how long it takes before they literally burst out of them.

More about what's been going on with us. . .
Olivia got her first black eye. This picture was taken the first night after she hit her head on a window sill at daycare. We'll try to find one from the last couple days where you can see it is now truly a "black" eye.

Then, Sunday morning, Hulse turned mom's big stand-up jewelery case over directly onto the bridge of his nose.

And because Trey is generally not a fan of cleaning up huge messes, we leave the spaghetti sauce to daycare. Unfortunately, we thought it would be ok if they had some ravioli last week. Bad idea:

What We've Been Up To...

2010-02-23T10:51:00.012-06:00

Well, not too much exciting has been going on lately at the Hankins house. We've had a busy February with my birthday, my mom's birthday, a Valentine's Day trip for mom and dad, and plenty of snow days. Hulse and Olivia have been walking for quite a while now and are able to get where ever they want/need to go with no problem. This is super fun for them and quite a bit of work for mom and dad! They are doing really well drinking real milk and the elimination of bottles/formula at the house has been a real blessing. They go back to the doctor in March for immunizations so I'm sure I'll have some stats to report back. I've posted some pictures from around the house (playing in our new tent, thanks Aunt Andrea!) and some from cousin Asher's birthday party at Playtime Pizza. The babies had a blast! There is also a picture of a first for Hulse, his first busted lip. He fell on the window sill at daycare and got his first fat lip, the first of many I'm sure.

Happy, Happy, Birthday Babies!

2010-01-26T16:31:00.000-06:00

Hulse and Olivia,
One year ago today you came into the world. I honestly cannot believe that you are one! Your dad I and went to the doctor for a normal check up that afternoon and 8 or 9 hours later you made your grand entrance. Of course, you came when you were ready and not as we had planned, and you picked the middle of an ice storm to do it. From that moment on, life as we knew it has never been the same. This year has been much different than I imagined your first year would be. It has been easier in some ways, harder in others, frustrating at times, and a complete joy at others. There are many days where I think to myself that I have no idea what I'm doing and other times where I seem to have it all under control. Above all we love being your parents. I am amazed everyday at how you change and grow and absolutely enchant us with your personalities. You are gifts from God, and we are thankful each day for the privilege we have in being your mommy and daddy. We look forward to the next year of your life and all of the things it will bring. Thanks for being the best kids ever!

Hulse man,
At one year old you are a funny and smart little guy. You love to play and push all your toys around the room. You like to explore in cabinets and drawers, and it only takes a minute for your to empty them out. You're not quite walking yet, but you are very close. You love to eat and are eating real food and drinking whole milk with no problem. You especially love to eat fruit of all kinds and gobble it up. You have the funniest belly laugh when you get tickled. You are quite the talker and can say all kinds of words (ball, book, mama, dada, papaw, uh oh, bye bye). You are a sweet little guy and are pretty laid back for the most part. Your favorite "toys" right now are the ball(oons) that we had at your party. You've got three teeth on the bottom and one poked through the top a couple weeks back.

Livi girl,
You are a total mess. You also love to play and get into all kinds of stuff, and you get really excited with yourself and love to clap. You have just started walking and are getting more surefooted each day, already making lots of progress since you started last Monday. Your favorite toy is anything that you can convert into a push toy and motor around. You're also a good eater and on big kid food and milk as well. You love to talk as well but seem to speak in your own Livi language - although you do say mama, dada, and bye bye. You don't have any problem with people you don't know and seem to be very outgoing. You're always on the go and have something to do. You got your first two teeth in August but didn't add another until several weeks back when 4 came in all at once on the top.

Good and Bad

2010-01-19T20:23:00.005-06:00

We'll start with the bad. It all started Friday night. We took the kids to their first basketball game to see their cousin Tanner play against Sylvan Hills.

Let's pause here and give some backstory. The last time we went to Sylvan Hills it was to hang out with Tanner while he watched his high school play football. During that game, someone stole Jennifer's purse out of the car. Good times.

Sylvan Hills continued its string of good fortune as just minutes into the game Hulse got sick - a lot. So, we left, and he appeared to immediately feel better.

On Monday, Jennifer was off for MLK day. Unfortunately, she woke up sick in the middle of the night. At 3:30, Trey actually had to be driven home from work because he couldn't sick up straight without feeling nauseated. And then, it hit Olivia last night. She's usually a great sleeper, but at about 10:30, we couldn't get her to stop crying - really crying. Jump ahead to this morning when she appeared to be feeling fine. Nope. She waited until she was completely dressed and we were about 10 minutes from heading out the door.

Enough bad news. The good news is that by noon or so everyone appeared to be on the road to recovery. More good news is that Olivia took advantage of everyone's day at home to start walking just one week before her birthday. Check out the video -

It's becoming more and more apparent how different the kids are. Olivia's got the walking skills. Hulse has the talking and entertaining skills. Hulse can say dad, mom, ball (bahh), book (boouh), and this week he added pappaw (papawwwww). Back before Christmas he actually started this awesome fake sneeze thing. Because he has stage fright, we never got a good version of it on tape, but we were actually able to get this -

UPDATE: Livi got sent home from daycare Tuesday morning. Guess we weren't as recovered as we thought.

R.I.P. Oreo

2010-01-05T02:40:00.010-06:00

We don't know exactly when our first child, a cat named Oreo, was born, but this morning at around 1:45 am, he died at the emergency clinic in Maumelle. A poor, untrained diagnosis on my part put any chance for his recovery behind the 8-ball. By the time I finally took him to the clinic tonight around 10:15, it was really too late.

I'm going to miss you Big O (Olivia is Little O). You were my first ever pet. I know I might have complained because you often took up a lot of my side of the bed, but I know that already tonight I was missing you there with me.

Here's the oldest picture I could find from back around Christmas 2005:

And here's one from February 3, 2007, looking as handsome as ever:

Big and Little O

During the above photo shoot on Nov. 15, 2009, you got in on the action:

And finally one of your favorite pastime:

You hated car rides, loved meeting us at the door after work for your treats and did extremely well with your little brother and sister considering how they sometimes treated you. I'll miss you buddy. I'm sorry I didn't get you there sooner.

- Your dad

Hulse and Olivia's First Christmas and their 11-month birthday

2009-12-30T15:36:00.001-06:00

Hulse and Olivia,

Your first Christmas was so much fun. I've always heard that Christmas is so much more fun with kids and I totally agree. Even though you didn't quite get it yet, you seemed to really enjoy all the attention you were getting. My heart is so full this year with memories of a first Christmas with you and our family and friends. I want you both to know the childlike joy of Christmas. I want you to know the fun and magic in cookies, trees, ornaments, lights, cold night air, reindeer, cheer, and of course Santa. These things are all so wonderful and I know that you will come to know your own special Christmas magic in years to come. Sweet babies, I also want you to know the joy in a Savior who loved you with such an unnameable passion that he sent his ONLY son to this world to save you from your sin. He sent that son knowing that in the end he would have to die to give that salvation and yet He knew there was no other way. And you know what? He would have sent that son even if it had been just the two of you that needing saving. The enormity of that sacrifice is more than enough reason to celebrate Christmas all year long! But we can't leave the tree up all year, so we'll say good bye to your first Christmas and wildly anticipate the many more to come.

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15

In other news, you both turned 11 months on the 26th. (How can that be possible?!) Things are wild and crazy around our house these days. You are both so mobile now that if we turn around for even a second the toilet paper is off the roll, the trash is turned over, or you're eating the cat food. I know we're in for more and more of that to come. You are both awesome eaters and are pretty much done with baby food and eating what we are for meals. That's been nice on the wallet and baby gear factor of not having to lug jars and utensils everywhere we go. You are also done with the bottle and using only a sippy cup for milk or juice. I think this will be nice when we hopefully try milk in another month or so. You are such big kids to me now. I know you're still my babies but everyday you do or say something that makes me think that you're so big.

Olivia,
you have morphed into our laid back child. You're easy to please, easy to smile, and a sweetheart. You are good about playing by yourself but you really love your big brother and want to play with him when you can. You talk all the time but your real words are mama and dada. You say something with a B sound and are starting to do an N sound as well. You are ever so close to walking. As soon as you get the nerve to let go and try it you will be gone. You've got 3 teeth now and are a good little eater.

Hulse,
you are such a mess. You are a little high maintenance at this time and are prone to a little fussing if something isn't happening just like you think it should. You don't always want to share with Livi and sometimes that causes a little sibling argument. You're a talker as well and say mama, dada, and uh ohh. You also know that when someone sneezes people say bless you so you've decided that anytime someone says bless you you'll fake sneeze. That little trick has been killing at the family get togethers! You're a little behind your sister in the mobility department but are practicing walking everyday. You've got 3 teeth and another top one peeking in. You're totally into food of any kind and get super excited when it's time to eat.

Quick Changes

2009-12-14T11:08:00.012-06:00

Hulse and Olivia,

you have been up to so many new things it's hard to keep track. It's hard for your momma because I'm always excited about what you're doing but sad because it means you're leaving another stage too quickly. You both saw Santa for the first time and did pretty well. No one had a meltdown, but you were too enamored with the jolly old elf to look at the camera. You are also both way into people food and getting ready to leave the jar stuff behind. Saturday I couldn't believe that I was making a grilled cheese and cutting up a banana for my babies, they just can't be that big!

Hulse,

Your new tricks are waving and saying "uh-oh". There is a little boy at daycare who just learned to wave and I think he taught you. You haven't quite mastered hi or bye-bye yet but you'll throw that little hand up when we save wave and go to town. Saturday night you were pulling all of the contents out of my sock drawer and you dropped a pair of socks and said "uh-oh". I couldn't believe you were using it in context but you were and have done many times since then when you drop something. What a genius baby!

Olivia,

You are also waving but you're main new trick is cruising everywhere. You've been cruising around the ottoman for a while now, but now you can go from the ottoman through the kitchen and out the other side. It's going to be no time before you're walking baby girl.

Thankful for 10 Months

2009-11-30T08:44:00.009-06:00

Hulse and Olivia,
you were 10 months old this Thanksgiving day and are up to something different everyday. You are both crawling everywhere and getting into everything. Neither of you like to sit these days and prefer to be on the move or standing up.

Olivia, you are cruising around the ottoman and walking really well behind your lion toy.

Hulse, you're still working on the foot placement for the cruise but you can do a few steps.

Both of you are kind of clingy right now, not with mom and dad but with people in general. You don't really want to be alone at all and prefer to be played with nonstop. You have both started eating the lunch at school and have tried all kinds of new foods. You both ate well at Thanksgiving and loved the dressing, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. You are both doing well with the sippy cup, and we will start in January really trying to get away from the bottles as we move toward milk for both of you. Everyday you bring a new challenge, but you also bring a new joy, and we love you.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-24T09:59:00.003-06:00

prayer. I'm never in a more calm steady place than when I'm praying. It is such a comfort to have God's ear anytime I need it or just want to talk to him. I am also thankful for the power of prayer and the countless things I've seen it do in my life and the lives of so many people.

October and November Pictures

2009-11-23T14:24:00.003-06:00

A little Hulse and Livi Update

2009-11-23T10:30:00.010-06:00

I haven't really updated on what the kiddos are up to these days so here goes. Hulse has decided that he wants to crawl and he's going at it with gusto. He gets up on all fours and he's off. It's so funny now to be in the kitchen and here those little hands hitting the tile and he's there. I keep saying over and over again, things are never going to be the same. He's also decided to spout not one, not two, but three teeth. I think he's trying to rush it so he can get a happy meal. Olivia is still scooting around and hasn't really tried to crawl yet. She is however a great little "walker" she love to hold on to your hands and go. Maybe she's going to skip crawling and go right to walking! We've also been trying a lot of new foods. They've had mashed potatoes, green beans, dressing, cheese, oatmeal, and chicken nuggets to name a few.

On another note, today I'm thankful for people who are willing to help. We just wrapped up our holiday food basket and Samaritan's purse box collection at church and I am always astounded by the love and generosity that people display. I'm thankful that there are so many individuals who give up themselves to help those who need it.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-20T09:58:00.004-06:00

email, Facebook, blogs, and any other medium that makes it easier to stay in touch. In the business of life I may not talk with someone every day, but I can always shoot a quick electronic message or check their blog and be connected to the people I love.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-19T10:20:00.004-06:00

the Weekend. I love spending the weekend with my family and always look forward to some good quality downtime. Even If I have errands to run I love knowing that the time belongs to me. I'm blessed to not have to work on the weekends and enjoy my hubby and babies.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-18T14:26:00.004-06:00

my health. I come from a line of pretty healthy people and I'm hoping I got those good genes! I am truly thankful to be a fairly healthy individual with a healthy husband and 2 healthy kiddos. I know how blessed I am to live in a country where I have access to resources like doctors, hospitals, and health insurance (for now!) that help me be as healthy as I can be.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-17T08:51:00.004-06:00

laughter. It's so much fun to laugh! I honestly believe that laughing is great medicine. A funny movie, story, joke, or listening to my kids giggle can just make my day.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-16T10:51:00.001-06:00

the opportunity to travel. Whether it's to Branson or on a Caribbean cruise I'm thankful to have to opportunity to get out and see places from time to time. I've always been a "goer" and love to get out and see places. I think I love to travel because it makes it so nice to come home!

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-13T09:12:00.004-06:00

stability. I am so blessed that in a world of shifting sand to have stability in my life. First of all I the stability of having my life built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Because of that firm foundation I am also blessed with stability in my marriage, family, and finances. Stability is a fading commodity in this world and I am daily thankful for the solid things in my life.

Giggle Box

2009-11-12T19:41:00.002-06:00

The kids are pretty ticklish. They also love standing up holding on to things. So while they were distracted, I thought it would be funny to tickle them. It was definitely funny.

Did you notice how the moment that I stopped tickling they immediately quit laughing? Those two are hilarious.

Scooting

2009-11-12T11:24:00.000-06:00

A lot of effort for such little movement; but it's progress.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-12T10:07:00.002-06:00

The freedom we have in this country. I'm especially thankful for the sacrifices made each day by men and women in the military to ensure my freedom. A freedom I've done nothing to deserve but that is extended to me anyway. No problem that I may have is comparable to the war they encounter on a daily basis.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-11T16:09:00.002-06:00

A day off. Even though it was spent cleaning house and doing laundry it was still a nice break from the norm.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-10T09:25:00.003-06:00

Books. Every Saturday morning my mom, grandmother and I would start our day at the library. I loved to go in and pick out as many books as I wanted and you can bet all of them got read. I've always loved to read and I still find a great story a magical get-away. I love to read to my babies and I hope they fall in love with reading also.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-09T10:45:00.003-06:00

Trey's job. Trey works for a wonderful company that values their employees and has some great benefits. I am truly grateful for his job and his provision for our family.

Thankful Weekend

2009-11-08T22:15:00.003-06:00

This weekend I'm thankful for my job and my education. I'm keenly aware these days how thankful I am to have a job. With so many people out of work I am truly blessed to have a good job (I may not always act like it!) and a great boss. I am also thankful to have been afforded the opportunity to go back to school and further my education.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-06T10:12:00.003-06:00

My home. When Trey and I moved into our home on last May I couldn't help but think about how it wildly exceeded my expectations. I was so overcome with how much the Lord had blessed our search and led us to the perfect house. We were looking for a home with more room so that when a baby Hankins came along we would have a place to put him/her, what we didn't know then was that we were going to be having 2 babies to fill it up. I always pray that our home will be a place filled with love, safety, and tons of laughter.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-05T09:04:00.005-06:00

My friends. I have always been the type of person who loves being surrounded by people and having lots of friends. I am so blessed to have close girlfriends who are in all stages of life. I've got single friends, friends with older kids who I can go to for advice, and friends who are just starting their families to share stories with. Trey and I are also blessed with some wonderful couple friends who we so enjoy spending time with.

Today I'm thankful for...

2009-11-04T11:23:00.005-06:00

My family. I am so blessed to have parents who are still together, raised me with a sense of right/wrong and who I am, and who love me (and now my children) unconditionally. I am also blessed to have grown up with all of my grandparents surrounded by love and fun.

Thankful November

2009-11-03T15:54:00.004-06:00

I'm thinking that I'll dedicate the whole month of November to things that I'm thankful for. I'm blessed beyond measure so I shouldn't have any trouble coming up with a new thankful thing every day. I'll do three things today to get me caught up.

I'm thankful for my relationship with my Savior. No matter how little or how much I put in, his steadfast love and presence never waivers. Salvation is my most undeserved yet treasured blessing.

I'm thankful for my husband. I could not ask for a more loving and patient husband and father. Even when it's hard my marriage is a treasure.

I'm thankful for my children. With so many women struggling with infertility, sick kids, and loss I am all the more thankful for 2 happy healthy babies. Hulse and Olivia are the gleam in my eye and the joy in my heart.

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:27-29

A 9 Month Post

2009-10-27T12:12:00.014-05:00

Hulse and Olivia,

You are 9 months and 1 day old today. You are both at a super fun age right now where everyday it's something new. Your Dad and I can't wait to see what you can do every day. You have both had a pretty good month despite the fact that you had the flu and were confined to the house for a week. This month you've tailgated, had some time with each parent alone while the other was out of town, and in a couple of days you'll dress up for your first Halloween. For your first Trick or Treat Hulse you'll be the Tin Man and Livi you'll be going as the Cowardly Lion.

Hulse you are a big boy at 21 pounds. You are growing right on track. It's just a matter of time before you're crawling. You are on your hands and knees everyday trying to figure out what the next step is. You also like to pull up on things especially when mom and dad hold your hands. You love to play and clap your hands when you get really excited. You are saying new sounds all of the time, but your favorite words are still Mama and Dada. You love baby food and have even started eating some table food like pickles, mashed potatoes, baked beans, baby yogurt, and even a little BBQ.

Olivia you are growing like a little weed coming in at 19 pounds. You are also interested in being mobile but take more of an army crawl approach. Scooting on your belly is a favorite activity. You also like to pull to a standing position and you love to walk in place once you get there. I think you would rather skip the crawling action and go straight for walking, but your poor momma isn't ready for that yet! You are going to be a late sleeper like your mom. If we let you on the weekends you'll usually sleep until at least 8:00. I've seen you eat your entire breakfast bottle with your eyes closed because you can't believe we would wake you up so early. You are also a very playful little girl until it's time for your nap and then your ready for your beauty rest. You also clap your hands when you get excited and your constantly have a smile on your face. You also really like your baby food and have tried table foods as well.

8 Months Old

2009-09-28T10:27:00.008-05:00

I can't even beleive that I'm typing that you are 8 months old. Where in the world did that time go? I don't know, but's it's going much too quickly.

Here is a little snapshot of what you are both up to at your 8 month birthday.

Hulse:
Talking all the time. You can say Mama and Dada.
You've learned to clap and will even do it on cue when you're not being a turkey.
You're very close to waving.
I think you're getting ready to be on the move. There is for sure some scootin' going on.
You have the funniest belly laugh. You're daddy can really get you going and it's hillarious.
You still love your bottle and jar food. Not super crazy about the sippy cup but mommy and daddy haven't been very diligent about it, so you can blame us.
You love to be played with and will sometimes get a little fussy when your companion leaves the room.
Still an excellent sleeper.

Olivia:
You are also a talker and a grinner. You are also saying Mama and Dada.
You're doing this funny little thing when you get tickled you have taken to cocking your little head to the side. It makes your audience smile, and we know how you love to perform!
You are also interested in being on your belly a lot learning how to move. I think you will be crawling in no time.
You're a pretty good eater, but I think you like the real food better than your bottle. You are also a good drinker with the sippy cup. You really had no problems adjusting to it.
You have developed into a great sleeper. In fact, you've become the one we have to wake up in the mornings to get ready for daycare.

7 Months Old

2009-08-31T13:52:00.006-05:00

So we're bluffing here a little bit because we were on vacation when the babies turned seven months old, but here's their picture.

Olivia at 7 Months:
- You are on the move, rolling around to get to where you need to go.
- Sitting up and playing with everything.
- Eating a fruit and veggie/meat everyday. You do turn your nose up at green beans, peaches, and macaroni and cheese.
- Got your first 2 teeth. You've been a little out of sorts about it, but not too terrible.
- You're a talker and love to "preach" at anyone who will listen.

Hulse at 7 Months:
- You are still a pretty lazy boy and not too interested in being mobile. I think you think we're going to carry you everywhere you need to go for the rest of your life!
- Sitting up, reaching, and also playing with everything.
- Eating a fruit and veggie/meat everyday. Like your sister you don't want green beans, peaches, or mac and cheese.
- No toofers yet!
- Talking up a storm! On vacation you talked for at least an hour straight on the car ride.

Vacation 2009

2009-08-31T13:42:00.012-05:00

We decided to bite the bullet and take a much needed family vacation to the Gulf. The most common reaction we got when people found out about the trip was "You're taking the babies?", and the answer was yes we decided to take the babies. Not to mention we went with some friends who also have a 7 1/2 month old. It's not much of a family vacation without the family, so we loaded up my parent's Tahoe with what seemed like our entire house and off we went. Turns out our babies are rock star travelers. They did so great the entire drive down. They slept, watched Nemo, Cinderella, and Praise Baby, or entertained themselves. We stayed out in Fort Morgan at the Gulf Shores Plantation and had a room right on the beach.The weather was great all week long and school has started for most kids so we really had the run of the place. The babies really enjoyed the beach. Olivia went right in the ocean and starting playing with Daddy. Hulse didn't like the waves or noise so he was content playing in/eating the sand. They both loved the pools and did well adjusting to the new surroundings. We went out to eat at night and they did great playing in their highchairs and watching people. We even got brave and headed to Foley for some outlet shopping one day and stayed from 9-4 without incident. Trey and I have decided that we are just blessed with some really great babies and we look forward to many more vacations!

Here are some pictures from the trip!

Toofer the Price of One

2009-08-27T21:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning we noticed that Olivia was drooling up a storm. She has not slept well at all the night before so we knew something was up. She also kept cramming anything she could get her hands on in her mouth and gnawing. Trey just happened to check in her mouth and our 7 month baby girl has her first tooth. We couldn't believe it. I'm sure she'll start asking for cookies any day now.

Water Babies

2009-08-17T16:03:00.014-05:00

You've seen the video now for the recap. We decided to take the babies to Scott, Donna, and Tanner's new pool to see how they would do in water bigger than the blow up pool in the backyard, and because mom and dad are always willing to test drive a pool!
Hulse and Livi, you did great! You really seemed to like the water and had no problem getting right in. You floated around in your boats but you also liked getting out and "swimming" around the pool. I've always heard that babies can take to water very naturally and Hulse you did that. Daddy took you out of your boat and you went straight to your belly and started kicking away. We have a future Olympic swimmer on our hands. We swam for over an hour and you both had a great time. I'm glad you liked it because mom and dad both love water. Here are some great pictures from the day.

Swimming

2009-08-15T18:57:00.003-05:00

We've been in a bath tub.
We've been in a blow-up pool that is smaller than the bath tub.
But now we've finally been in a real pool!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-07-30T14:47:00.004-05:00

Dad,
Hope you have the best birthday ever. We love you!

Hulse and Olivia

Half of a Year in the Blink of an Eye

2009-07-20T14:28:00.020-05:00

Hulse and Olivia,

I can't believe that you are already 6 months old. It is almost hard for me to remember what you were like the first night that I met you. So small, sweet, and not quite sure you were ready to be out in the big world. Now, you're full of life and taking the big world by storm. What a blessing you are to your Dad and I. Our life before you came was fun, but I think we would both agree that the two of you make it more fun than we can handle sometimes. I'm prepared for the next 6 months to fly by like these have and before you know it I'll be planning a party for your first birthday. We thank God for you everyday and can't wait to watch all of the new things you're about to do!

Hulser at 6 months you have bright eyes and big cheeks. You are a little ahead of your sister on most things, as you should be as the big brother. You love to talk in a loud voice. You get excited and shout it out to anyone in ear shot. You're sitting up unassisted for longer and longer periods of time (when your not being a lazy boy), and it's a matter of time before you'll be able to get there on your own. You are a sweet boy who seems to "think" a lot. I can see the little gears turning sometimes. You love to play and will reach for toys and whatever is around. You love to eat carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, bananas, and of course you love your bottle. You're love of food is reflected in your big boy size. You weigh 18 pounds 2.5 ounces and are 26 1/2 inches long. You're wearing 6-9 month clothes and a size 2 shoe. Still not a lot of hair to speak of, but we're getting there. You are a superstar sleeper! We put you down, you immediately roll to your right side, and we don't hear from you again until we wake you up.

Livi at 6 months you are smiles and giggles. Such a little girl, you love to be entertained and clapped for. I think there is something involving a stage in your future. You love to talk our ears off, but usually in a much quieter way than your brother. You've come a long way in two weeks and can sit unassisted for quite a while; we work on it everyday and you get better and better. You love your toys also and are interested in reaching out for what's around you. You love to eat carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, bananas, and you like your bottle also. You're not quite as into food as Hulse, but you're still a good eater. You weigh 16 pounds and are 25 inches long. You're wearing 6 month clothes and still a 0-1 shoe, tiny tiny foot. You've got some hair and it ranges from strawberry blond to red in the back. You've got the red head temper to match. You will let anyone know when you're not happy, we'll have to work on the anger management a bit. You are a sleeper in training. You still don't like to sleep without being bundled, but if you're a baby burrito you sleep well.

Photo Session, July 5

2009-07-06T16:16:00.011-05:00

Click the image to view the slideshow.

How far we've come - 5 months

2009-07-01T12:25:00.005-05:00

Click our picture and we will get bigger.

And here are some pictures that were taken during the five month photo shoot:
Dad is soooo funny!
Livi got caught blinking; usually makes for a terrible picture, but I liked this one.

Daycare Cellphone Pictures

2009-07-01T11:32:00.005-05:00

These pictures were sent to us by cellphone. Amanda Rodtnick works at our daycare, checks in on things for us and sends us some shots form her phone's camera. I'm just now taking them from my phone to a computer.

April 22 Livi smilin'	April 23 Hulse in bouncy seat
May 20 Hulse scared of Amanda?	May 28 Livi and Riley Rodtnick
June 25 Presumably, Livi taking a nap	June 25 Hulse in the loudest jumperoo ever

The Jumperoo...

2009-06-30T19:33:00.003-05:00

Will wear you smooth out!

Firsts

2009-06-29T16:50:00.015-05:00

This weekend marked a first for babies and grandparents alike. Hulse and Livi spent Friday and Saturday nights with their Nana, Gigi, and Papaws respectively. Trey and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary and the grandparents stepped in to give us a little break. It was so nice to spend time with one another and some good friends and not worry about bottle steamers, jarred green beans, or poo. I consider it pretty successful, no baby had a melt down and they slept pretty good. All in all we might get the grandparents to keep them again sometime.

Also, the babies turned 5 months old on Friday. It's so hard to believe they are getting so big! They are doing all kinds of fun things.

Hulse and Livi,
You love to:
Roll over and over (still working on that back to belly thing!)
Eat peas, green beans, carrots
Play in your jumperoo and your exersaucer
Talk, screech (Hulse), smile, giggle
Play with your toys and put everything in your mouth
You can both sit up unassisted for 10-15 seconds and then you slowly lean over, but you're getting better everyday
You are both still sleeping pretty well when you don't cough and wake yourself up
You both seem to love people. Of course you like your grandparents, but you also like your daycare ladies and the sweet ladies in the nursery at church.

It's something new everyday and I can't wait to see what you both do next.

Joyful June

2009-06-23T21:38:00.005-05:00

Happy First Father's Day

2009-06-22T11:51:00.002-05:00

Trey,
Hulse, Olivia and I wanted to say how much we love you on your very first Father's Day. You are a great daddy and husband. We can't imigine a better man for the job. We look forward to celebrating many more father's days to come.

Love,
Your Family

A Birthday Story

2009-06-18T15:11:00.023-05:00

So, I was thinking that I should probably tell the story about how my precious pumpkins made their grand entrance into the world. Now I know those who read this blog (all 5 of you!) have been waiting with bated breath for this, but I think one day my babies might be interested in the story of their birthday. *Disclaimer - this is a long one, so if you're only mildly interested, stop right here.

I was 36 weeks and going to see my doctor (Dr. Singleton) weekly, if not twice a week, to have the babies checked out. Everything was going fine we were just monitoring them closely since we were getting down to the delivery date. We had talked with Dr. S and due to a variety of circumstances including one breech twin, we had scheduled a section for February 10th. Because everything was going so well we had no inkling that we wouldn't make it to the 10th. I love how we think we're "planning" things!

January 26th I had my regular weekly appointment and was a little concerned because the weekend previous my blood pressure had been elevated.In fact, I had done a urine collection and turned it in that morning to check my protein level. For most of the pregnancy I'd been monitoring my pressure at home to watch for anything abnormal. The nurse checked my pressure and sure enough is was elevated. Up until this point I had a totally normal pregnancy and my pressure had been great so the nurse was a little concerned.

Funny sidebar you'll want to tuck away for later, we were in the exam room waiting and Dr. Sellers (another Dr. in the clinic) comes in looks at us with a puzzled expression and says "Wait, I'm not supposed to be seeing you today." The clinic was crazy that day and we were in a room he normally uses while they were preparing one of Dr. Singleton's room. Why was it crazy you ask, there was an ice storm on the horizon. So you know people in Arkansas are clamoring for doctor's appointments and loaves of bread.

Dr. Singleton wanted me to check my pressure again as we left and it was higher than when I came in the clinic so he sent us over to L&D for monitoring. I should have known right then and there to go home and get the bag because babies were coming, but never having given birth I was dumb! We get to L&D at about 4:00pm and they hook me up to the belts and spend FOREVER trying to get both babies to cooperate and stay on the monitors. In addition they are constantly monitoring my pressure, which gets higher as we progress. I had already called my mom and she arrived in less than an hour to check on me. So for the next 2 hours I lay there and people looked at me. I'm starving, the ice storm is raging, and I'm still not thinking we're having babies. In fact, my mom still had to drive to Pine Bluff so I sent her home around 5:30, convinced we were going home. Stupid.

At least by this time Trey and I are thinking we might be staying the night and we need some kind of overnight bag. However, there's that pesky ice storm. We live in an area where either way you go, you have to pass a large iced over bridge to get home. It would have been a dangerous undertaking and could have taken hours. So, we just planned to tough it out and get our things in the morning when we were sure we'd be discharged.

I start getting fuzzy on times here but I think around 8-8:30pm the nurse who has been in contact with the on call doctor comes in and wheels the bedside stool up. I remember thinking if she's wheeling the stool over and sitting down, something isn't right and we're having babies tonight. She tells Trey and I that the doctor is at home but is on his way in. A little while later the door opens and in walks Dr. Sellers (you'll remember him from our sidebar earlier) and he says "I guess I was supposed to see you guys today." He explains that my pressure is causing my body to enter into dangerous territory for not only me, but also Hulse and Olivia. He proceeds to tell us in not so many words that we are going to have these children tonight or something potentially serious could happen to me and them. I ask if we can wait until the morning, not really. So I ask if we can give our families time to get there, and he says he'll do his best, and then they start prepping me for the section.

The scoop is that my BP has elevated to the point where I could be in danger of having a seizure. If that happens with the babies in utero it's not a good situation for mom or baby. To try and prevent me from having a seizure they start me on a medication called magnesium sulfate. This stuff has a nasty reputation and I had read about it, but thank the Lord it didn't seem to affect me negatively and I didn't have a seizure so that was a blessing.

In what seemed like a crazy whirlwind I was taken to the OR, got my epidural and spinal, and they brought Trey in and we started. Hulse you were born first. You came out and immediately started crying. They told me you had hair and that everything looked great. Three minutes later Olivia you arrived quietly on the scene. You took a little more time to pop out because you were backwards and they tried to turn you around, but you just insisted on coming out bottom first. And just like that it was over. The doctors and nurses continued to check you out and finished with my part of the procedure. They wrapped you both into a tight little package and I held you for the first time as we went down the hall to our room. The doctors and nurses gave you some shots, cleaned you up, took your footprints, and wrapped you up. Hulse you were 5 lbs, and 6 oz and 19 inches long. Olivia you were 5 lbs, and 5 oz and were 18 1/4 inches long. I was so relieved that you were both here and that everything was ok. You met your grandparents and then you spent the night in the nursery so mom and dad could rest.

I woke up around 3:00/4:00 on 1/27/09 and everything was really fuzzy. So I reached for my glasses and put them on and everything was still really fuzzy. In a little bit of a panic I woke Trey up and told him to call the nurse that I couldn't see. He understood me pretty well in his sleepy state because he jumped up and called. Over the next 48 hours I felt like someone had taken dirty contacts and put them over my eyes. Apparently, my BP was so high the vessels behind my eyes has constricted or the fuzzy vision was a reaction to the mag sulfate. Who knows, but I thought I was going to be blind. It was much better when we left the hospital, but it took probably 2 weeks after we got home to be completely normal again. My BP continued to be higher than everyone was comfortable with for a few days and I ended up staying for 5 days. At some point Dr. Sellers rounded on me and we got the result of that urine collection I had done and my protein level was 3,000 times what is considered safe. So it really was God's hand moving with us that day to deliver those babies before something happened to me or them. We finally made it home, and you know the rest of the story, you're 5 months old and growing like weeds. We love you so much and can't wait one day to tell you all about your birthday.

4 Month Musings

2009-06-08T15:03:00.014-05:00

First, let me preface with I love my babies and they are the most precious things on Earth, but Lord have mercy four months has been an interesting milestone for Hulse and Olivia. They had been doing really great in the eating & sleeping departments and then wham we hit a brick wall. They were eating 6-7 ounces every 4 hours and now we're doing good if they take 4 ounces every three hours. We have been eating off of a spoon, some rice cereal and green peas. They do pretty well with that. It's been frustrating because their bellies aren't getting full then they want to eat more often. Which has led to them waking up one time a night (two on a couple of occasions) starving like they were never going to eat again. Everything I've read/heard says this is normal around this time and is related to a slow down in growth, but nobody has given any advice on how to survive it! I know we're lucky though because a lot of parents I know would love to only get up one time a night with their four-month-old. Of course, we've had a little illness again. Both babies got a little rash and started running fever. It turned out to be just a viral infection (which of course you can do nothing about). Hopefully, we'll be over that soon.

In other exciting news, my mom and dad recently sold their house and are planning a move to our area. This is exciting for Trey and I when we need a few more hands on deck. The babies are getting to the age when they're a little easier to handle so we're hoping that GiGi and Pappaw will be able to babysit when they get settled in.

More May Pics

2009-05-27T15:00:00.004-05:00

Blog's first video

2009-05-24T15:09:00.008-05:00

It's been a slow process, but we now have the computer and the time needed to edit some of our camcorder videos. Here's one from 5/18 of Hulse rolling over. This was after a bath. He had rolled over three times earlier, and then we finally thought about getting the camera. And just so you know, all of the others weren't the result of a burp like this one appears to be.

Long Weekend

2009-05-23T08:50:00.013-05:00

There's not much new to report from the Hankins household. I'm very excited about a long weekend with no real plans. It will be nice to just hang out and do nothing if we want to.

I've started a workout boot camp to try and get back into some sort of shape after the babies took over my body. It's been hard and I've had a couple of aches and pains, but it's fun.

Olivia and Hulse have been great, growing like weeds. They've been doing all kinds of fun stuff, smiling, laughing, picking up toys, and Hulse has been rolling over. They are both pushing up when you lay them on their tummies and sitting in their Bumbo's well. In a recent development, they LOVE their Baby Einstein video. I put it in a couple of weeks ago to see what they would do and they've been mesmerized ever since. Last weekend Finding Nemo was on TV and they both loved watching it also. They will be 4 months old Tuesday and we go to the doctor for their check up/shots next Friday. I'm thinking we will get to start eating some cereal. They are both eating between 6-7 oz at a time and I think they are ready for something else to eat. We've had a few sleep set-backs due to sickness. Olivia had some type of bacterial infection and was running a fever and not sleeping very well, but she's feeling better and back to self.

Here are some new pictures.

Here's Livi finding a toy and of course putting it in her mouth.

So stinkin cute!

Happy baby boy.

Daddy gave us these outfits for Christmas last year.

Here we are watching Baby Einstein.

Moms

2009-05-11T14:35:00.012-05:00

I was thinking yesterday about the mother daughter relationship and how interesting it is. I know with my mom it evolved from provider, to enemy (those fun teenage years), to friend and I'm sure that is the case for many mother daughter relationships. But through all of those changes the lessons remain. I still learned things that shape me today that I will try and instill in my daughter.

Mom, I can be a better mom (on this, my first mother's day) because you taught me:

Everyone needs a friend, you never want to be the mean girl.
It's so much better to have many friends than only one at a time.
Lying is much more hurtful than disobedience.
Only marry a man that you can't spend one day without.
Reading is one of life's greatest joys.
Beware of men who drive trucks, the back of them are called beds.
You don't have to know the correct lyrics to a song to enjoy it.
A thigh master is not an appropriate Christmas gift.
It's okay to expect big things, you don't have to settle.
Choose your battles.
Hold your shoulders back. (Still working on this one)
It is never appropriate to throw a fit in public.
Southern women are a cut above.
High school is not the end all be all in life.
You can never get in trouble for doing your best, even if it's not an A.
You can never go wrong with good table manners.
Life isn't always fair, but God is always good.

Thanks for all of these lessons and more. They all mean so much more now that I'm charged with teaching them to these doodles!

* Note my mother's day present, a new chair!

Hungry (Pink) Eyes

2009-05-05T11:11:00.003-05:00

It's been an exciting week or so in the Hankins household with the emergence of pink eye. Last Tuesday daycare called to say that Hulse's eye was pretty matted. About an hour later the director called to say that it was swollen shut and oozing (Gross, right?). By the time we got there it was pretty bad. A quick trip to the triage clinic and some antibiotic drops cleared it up pretty quickly. However, both babies now have stuffy noses and Hulse has a cough. Bless his heart, you can tell he wants to clear his throat he just can't figure out how. Again, you can't really give babies anything for colds so we've been rocking the humidifier and hoping for the best. Mom, dad, and babies hadn't been getting much sleep.Finally last night they both slept through the night again, so I think we might have turned a corner. I can't wait until they are big enough to NyQuil up!

In other exciting news, there is another couple at church who found out they are having twins. That makes 2 news sets in addition to ours. That is so fun!

How far we've come

2009-04-27T22:21:00.005-05:00

Click our picture and we will get bigger.

Baby Blessing

2009-04-27T09:12:00.013-05:00

The babies are 3 months old. It's hard to think about how fast time has flown by. When we look at their newborn pictures it's like we had totally different kids! They are smiling all the time, grabbing at things, "talking" by making sweet little baby noises, and wanting to laugh out loud. They can sit up propped up, and both have really good head control. They are also sleeping really well, for the most part. Mom and Dad have rejoiced several times when we weren't awakened until 5:00 or 6:00 am. They seem to be progressing right along schedule.

Of course we've been taking loads of pictures of the babies at home, but I wanted to get some "professional" shots done. Not knowing how they would react, we went to JC Penny to get the first ones done. It wasn't a terrible experience. We didn't have to wait too long, and the babies didn't have a melt down. However, it's extremely hard to get two 3 month olds to smile at the same time. Olivia, the perpetual grinner, wouldn't crack a smile and of course Hulse was full of smiles. We got a couple of good shots. Hopefully when we go back for 6 month pictures they will cooperate at the same time.

Sunday was a special day for the babies and us with baby dedication at church. This is a public way of saying we commit to surrender Hulse and Olivia to the Lord and to raising them as Godly parents. It's a great feeling as parents to have a congregation of people pray for you and your children. I know that our church is just as dedicated as we are to teaching our kids how much Jesus loves them. It is an awesome privilege and responsibility to be given the gift of children!

We've got the Fever!

2009-04-21T11:41:00.012-05:00

Friday we got that first call from daycare that Olivia was running a fever. Our first sickness wasn't too bad, just a little fussiness and the fever was over Monday late morning. I've heard my girlfriends talk about the stupid fever viruses that you can't do anything about, so I knew it was coming. Everyone is back to normal today.

My parents went to Fayetteville this weekend and went up to Branson on Friday to do some shopping. They went bananas at the Carter, Oshkosh, Baby Gap, and Children's Place outlets. We got the cutest summer stuff for the babies. I can't wait to put them in it all. If you're looking for deals for babies/kids clothes they said Branson is the place to go.

Also, I have to post this hilarious picture of Trey. The babies are on soy formula because of some tummy trouble and let's just say you can smell the difference. Trey went to change Olivia's diaper on Saturday and this is what he came in wearing. Too Funny!

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T12:25:00.004-05:00

We had a fun celebration of the babies first holiday.Even with the cold rain, we got them all dressed up and off to church and to lunch in Pine Bluff. My mom still had my first Easter dress so Livi got to wear that and she looked precious. They are still little so I can match them without resistance, so Hulse looked handsome in his sailor bubble suit. Of course their first Easter came complete with a visit from the bunny and lots of love from family and friends. Next year, I can just imigine them toddling around scooping up eggs. I love the fun stuff that comes with easter but I can't wait to teach Hulse and Livi that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Easter and just how much God loves them.
The past couple of weeks the babies have been smiling so much more. Now they get tickled on purpose and not just from gas or by accident. Livi is so funny and seems to know just what to do when the camera comes out. Hulse on the other hand likes to be entertained before he will show you the gums!We got a few cute pictures of some smiles.

A Fun Weekend

2009-04-06T10:28:00.007-05:00

We had a fun little weekend with our family.

Friday night Hulse and Olivia got to see their Gigi and Pappaw's motor home (affectionately called the "Moho"). They also got to see Aunt Pam and Uncle Bud for a while. We are big Razorback Fans and we tailgate in the Moho so we had to introduce them to what will be their home away from home beginning in August. We hope they will love MoHoing as much as we do!

Mammaw, Pappaw, Great Pappaw, Aunt Cindy, and Marley came to visit Saturday afternoon and got to love on the babies for a while.
Saturday night we took the babies to a Fish Fry with our Sunday school class. It was delicious food (Thanks to Blake and Allison) and fun to show the babies off. A lot of our group hadn't seen them at all or since they were teenie.

Sunday we went to church and Sunday school for the second time. Then we took the kids to their first baseball game. Trey and I are also big UCA Bear fans and we love baseball so we couldn't pass up a chance to get Hulse and Livi started early. They seemed to enjoy the time outside (other than the extreme wind) and Hulse was hilarious with the music at the game. Jonathan, Ashley, and Jack came over Sunday night and we started to plan our first vacation with babies for this August.

Through all of the activity the babies behaved perfectly. They are proving to be laid back and easy to take places. This is good since we're always on the go.

Some New Cute Pics

2009-03-30T20:56:00.003-05:00

Day Care - Day 1

2009-03-30T14:15:00.005-05:00

I've been dreading this day, but I had to drop my babies off at day care this morning. It's weird leaving your children with complete strangers, even when you know they are going to be perfectly fine. I held myself together and I only called to check on them once. They are doing great, of course, because they are perfect in every way! I just hope they don't forget who their Mommy and Daddy are.

Two Months Old

2009-03-30T14:13:00.002-05:00

Nine Month Inventory

2009-03-25T12:50:00.000-05:00

We have a silk-lines bassinet;
we have two kinds of cribs
we have a hundred bibs.

We have a thousand diapers;
we have a rocking chair;
we have a tiny comb in case
the baby has some hair.

We have a baby carriage
and a car seat and a swing;
we have twelve baby bottles
and a prechilled teething ring.

we have ten books on baby care
and parenting techniques;
we have six rubber lap pads
in case the baby leaks.

We have three closets full of sheets
and blankets, towels, and clothes;
we have a baby-sized syringe
for cleaning out the nose.

We have a yellow rubber duck;
we have a soft brown teddy;
we have eleven charge cards
in case we're still not ready.

Leslie D. Perkins

Growing Up

2009-03-23T09:53:00.010-05:00

Hulse and Livi had their 2 month check up on Friday and they are both doing well. Our big boy weighs 10 pounds! We knew he was bigger than his sister, but we didn't know he was that big. I know some babies are 10 pounds when they are born, but considering he was little we're happy he's getting fat. Little sister weighs in at 8 pounds 13 ounces. She's going to be our petite princess, at least for a while. They had their first round of shots and they did great. They were a little out of sorts for the next few hours but we survived.

Twilight Fashion Forward

2009-03-18T10:45:00.004-05:00

I have to show you this too cute onesie that my friend Corrinne made for Olivia. We both share an out of control love for the Twilight series! She has also made some fantastic UCA Bear onesies for them, but this one takes the cake.

On the Move

2009-03-18T10:38:00.003-05:00

At about 7:19 pm on March 17th Hulse decided to change his view of the world. He was taking a nap on his belly and decided he was finished with that and rolled over. You should have seen Trey and I jump up and cheer like he won the Super Bowl! We'll see if he decides to do it again or if he can go from his back to his tummy today.

Our First Play Date

2009-03-13T21:38:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Hulse and Livi finally got to meet their buddy Jackson Hunter Peoples. Trey and I are good friends with Jack's mom and dad and we all couldn't wait to get these cutie booties together. It was so great to get to hold Jack since we had only seen him in the nursery. Trey and I are so thankful that he's doing great and getting so big. We hope this will be the first of many play dates and trips with Jack, Jonathan, and Ashley.

Hulse and Livi also got to meet some other good friends, Caleb and Corrinne. They don't have babies (yet!) but they got some good practice in with our 3 little ones.

A Few Motherly Observations

2009-03-10T15:58:00.002-05:00

It's funny how universal some things are about motherhood. Here are some gems I've picked up on in the last 6 weeks.

- Little boys will pee on anything in the proximity, including you. Thank you makers of the Pee Pee Tee Pee.

- You really won't have time for laundry, dusting, cooking, or any other housework. Even when your kids are sleeping.

- As much as I enjoy babyhood I look forward to different milestones.

- When you have kids you talk about body functions, a lot.

- A trip anywhere out of the house is a welcome experience, even if it's to the doctor.

- You can only watch so much daytime television.

- It's OK to want to be ready to return to work, because the work at the office is 10 times easier than my mommy work!

- You never appreciate your husband more than when he's helping take care of the babies.

- Watching your children sleep peacefully is one of the greatest joys in life.

Finally...

- Having kids is fun, crazy, busy, hard, and rewarding all rolled into one.