How far we've come

Click our picture and we will get bigger.

Baby Blessing

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!

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

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

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

Day Care - Day 1

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

Nine Month Inventory

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

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

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

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

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

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. 

Thankful

As a new mom, I could not be more thankful for all of the food, phone calls, and cards. Trey and I are so grateful for the people who have taken care of us so that we can concentrate on our precious little ones.

Here are some new pictures of the twins.