The Bartletts

Owen's big week

2010-06-22T21:15:00.000-05:00

I don't actually know how Owen feels about this week. I'm guessing for him, it's been a week just like every other, but he has grown so much this week. He has accomplished the delicate art of sitting, and is getting his first tooth.

The sitting thing is awesome. He is really starting to get tired of the various contraptions we have to entertain him. Everyday when I drop him off at school, he just watches the bigger kids that sit in their little pin, and it's so obvious he wants to be there. This week, he finally figured it out. He can sit for a while without falling, unless he moves too quickly towards something. When he does fall, he just lays there and starts playing with something new. It really looks like he is just playing it off, like he had wanting to lay down all this time.

The teething bit is not as awesome. This caught us by surprise, although it does explain some recent bouts of fussiness. He has been a major drooler since he was born, so we've always just written off drool as something he does. Like he drools puddles and puddles. Most weekend days when we are going to be around the house for awhile, I let him hang out in just a diaper. It's easier than having to change him 5 times in one day because his drool soaks through the bib and his shirt. It's gross. So a little drool in our life is not indicative of teeth, it just means Owen is Owen. And he has always been a pretty oral baby. He chews on everything around. One day last month, before he had completely figured out the whole hand to mouth situation, I caught him chewing on a toy hanging from a little baby gym. To get the toy in his mouth he would move his head around until the rings fell perfectly into his open mouth. It was really funny to watch, and he probably spent more time attempting to get the toy into his mouth than anything else.

Lately, he has enjoyed chewing on his feet. There are times we will pick him up and his socks are soaking wet. So socks are another item of clothing that I don't bother with anymore if we are just going to be at home all day. Thank goodness it is summer in Houston, perfect weather for a diaper baby.
Madeline didn't start getting teeth until she was about 9 months, so I had not thought about the possibility of teeth. Yesterday Owen was sitting and drooling, and he started doing this weird thing with his tongue where it looked like he was trying to lick his bottom gum. I didn't even catch half of the weird faces he was making. It was so funny, I could not stop laughing!

Then, he reached for my hand and put my finger in his mouth, and immediately I could feel the tiny tip of a new tooth under the gums. Randomly, I'm kind of excited for him.

Summer

2010-06-22T13:44:00.002-05:00

I have heard so many people wax poetic about summer. I'm going to be honest, it's not my favourite time of year. I really prefer spring and fall. I love spending time outside, and summer in Katy is not made for outdoor activities. We go swimming, and go to the park , and we take evening walks, and eat outside. Ok, that last sentence made summer in Katy sound magical. But all of those are early morning or evening activities. Daytime is brutal. We usually spend the hours from 11-5 hiding out inside doing crafts and trying to keep the house somewhat orderly (ok, Andy and I are the only ones trying to keep things orderly, Madeline loves a mess). But in a spirit of optimism and looking at things from a positive light, I am choosing to concentrate on the things I like about summer.

I love early morning visits to the playground.

I love bubbles and pajamas.

I love swimming. I love the smell of sunscreen on my little ones.

I love bringing Owen outside so he can do the exact same thing he always does, except outside. And I love his new set of faces he's learned to make.

I love setting up the sprinkler toys and inflatable pool in the backyard and watching Madeline and Nelson go crazy.

I love flowers in full bloom.

I love sno cones, and red tongues.

I love that the time gets all jumbled up and an afternoon visiting with friends quickly turns into evening and night. Afternoon swims quickly lapse into dinner and popsicles.

I love evening walks as the sun starts to set.

And I love summer naps, and summer nights.

Thursday Nights

2010-06-22T10:14:00.003-05:00

One of my favourite things about our neighborhood is all of the activities at the nearby shopping center. They have a beautiful outdoor space with fountains that are made for kids to play in. They sponsor a farmer's market every Saturday morning, and during the summer have a concert series on Thursday nights. Each week brings a different kind of music, but always the same atmosphere. There are kids, so many kids, running and playing in the fountain. And parents visiting. And all smiling and having a good time. I am hoping to go as often as possible this summer.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-21T23:25:00.002-05:00

Andy is probably one of the world's best fathers. He loves both of our little ones with all of his being. He is so helpful with all of the practical stuff. He is exactly what I never knew I wanted, but always did. It makes me so happy to know that our children will grow up with such a great role model and loving father. Because that is exactly what Andy and I both had growing up, and we are so thankful everyday.

Dining Al Fresco

2010-06-21T21:23:00.002-05:00

My favorite warm weather activity is outdoor dining. I think everything tastes better when the sun is shining on your skin. We try to have picnics at different parks as often as we can, but for weeknight dinners, we are big fans of backyard dining.

Madeline is a little too small to comfortably eat on our patio furniture, so we usually just spread out blankets and have a picnic. It's kind of fun and feels very comfortable to just sit and eat watching the sun set on another day. When there is a quiet minute you can hear the joyful screams from neighborhood kids playing or the daily conversation of a couple walking along the trail near our house.

After dinner Andy and I take turns playing with Owen and talking about our day. Madeline usually plays with Nelson, ro invents some game to play. This past week she acted out animals as we named them. It was so funny to watch, and pretty hard to photograph, but I kind of think some of the blurred ones are cool.

For a moment I always forget that I am not in some sort of wonderful movie and that this is indeed my life, and then I smile.

Found

2010-06-14T21:07:00.007-05:00

You know that wonderful feeling you get when you reach your cold hand into a old jacket on the first cold day of winter and find a $20 bill. That $20 is like the best $20 ever. It is the best way to start a day.
I hardly ever use our point and shoot camera, but I usually keep it with me for those random moments I don't have our nice camera around. Tonight, I reached for it and realized the memory card was full. I was amazed because I hardly ever use it. When I uploaded the pictures I realized I had pictures on there since Halloween! It was kind of fun to find all these pictures. These random snapshots of our lives the past 7 months.
So much has changed. Madeline's hair is so much longer. Her face looks so much more mature. Mine looks so much less puffy (I hope). Owen is alive, and has grown so much.
These are by no means all of the memories from the past few months, but some of the random moments that I'm so glad to relive.

There were laughs at home, rode trips, fun with dogs, and holiday parties.

There was fun with boxes.

There was snow in Katy!

There were Christmas wishes, and Christmas gifts.

There was fun with family.

There was swimming and love.

There were walks to the turtles.

And there were naps for all.

These pictures are certaintly not the best photos we have, and not at all a culmination of our last 7 months, but tonight they were as sweet as those hidden dollar bills just waiting to be found.

Yay for the Enrights!!!!

2010-06-10T09:53:00.005-05:00

My dear cousin Ellen after months of waiting finally got the phone call she has been waiting for. A little girl in Ethiopia has been matched up with the Enright family. In just a few short months Ellen and Braegan will become a family of 5 and a little girl will be theirs forever. That little girl has no idea how lucky she is. Just look at this family.

They have such a capacity for love. It is inspiring.

I tried to explain adoption to Madeline tonight. It went something like this:

Me: There are lots of ways to make a family. Mommy and Daddy can love each other so much a baby grows in Mommy's belly like what happened with you and Owen. But sometimes, some mommies cannot take care of their babies so some really nice and very wonderful people adopt them and make them part of their family.

Madeline: That is so nice mommy. Why can't their mommy whose tummy they grew in take care of them?

Me: Yes, Madeline, adopting is really nice. But sometimes the mommy who's tummy they grew in doesn't have the resources like money or food to take care of their baby. (at this point I really didn't want to get into the idea of maternal death so i skipped that part).

Madeline: But you won't let someone else adopt Owen right?

Me: No, Madeline, you and Owen are ours and my heart would break into a million pieces without you. You and Owen will always be ours.

Madeline: Good mommy, I think Nelson would miss Owen (I guess she felt really secure in her place in our family and I'm pretty sure Nelson would not miss Owen). Mommy, I have a good idea, why don't you grow a baby in your belly and then let someone adopt it. That would be so nice.

Me: Maybe, probably not.

Ok, so I don't think she totally understood that, but at least we tried.

I cannot wait to meet the luckiest little girl in Ethiopia. Ellen, you and Breagan are such amazingly wonderful people. We are all lucky to have you in our life.

Jarntip + Shawn

2010-06-09T21:01:00.002-05:00

Weddings are one of my favourite things in the world. I would love to just go to random people’s weddings and just soak in all the love and happiness that comes with a wedding day, like Wedding Crashers, but less hook up and more fly on the wall. It is a day filled with so much joy, and hope, and happiness.

I love the anticipation of waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle, even though I JUST saw her 10 minutes ago.

I like to look at the groom, and watch him watch her. I love to hear all of the readings and declarations of love, especially when they are words I've never heard before.

I love all of the decorations, all the little details the bride has worked so hard to coordinate.

I love celebrating afterwards. I love night weddings where the day fades into night.

I like the dancing, especially when everyone has had a bit much to drink, and doesn’t notice that I am not in fact the great dancer I pretend to be.

I love the cake (who doesn’t love the cake!).

I love watching total strangers joining together to love two people. I love getting together with old friends who I don’t see often enough.

And of course, I love the kids. I love that they don’t really know how important this day is and they don't care. They came to dance and eat cake. And they are always so happy.

I really think weddings are a lot like a birthday (like the actual day a little one is born), except with pretty clothes, dresses, cake, and dancing. It is a day full of hope and excitement. A day that no matter what goes wrong is always the most perfect day you could ever imagine.

These pictures are all from my friend, Jarntip’s wedding this past weekend. It was even more beautiful than the pictures. It was a perfect night that I want to do all over again.

Congratulations Jarntip and Shawn. We love you!

Rice Cereal

2010-05-27T22:38:00.001-05:00

I am in total shock that Owen is old enough to start on solid foods. I know this is so cliche, but it really seems like yesterday I was packing his bags for the hospital. But it's time for cereal. He tried his first bites this weekend, and was very typical baby. He was insanely interested in the spoon, and seemed really into the concept of eating. I think of the small tiny bowl of cereal we tried to feed him, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of a baby spoonful made it into his tummy. The rest we wiped off of every inch of his body.

We tried again a few days later and had a little better luck. This time I mixed in just a little bit of applesauce, because let's be honest, that rice cereal does not taste good at all. I figured maybe he just had a very mature palette and was too sophisticated for rice cereal. OK, not really, I just thought the applesauce would taste better. And it worked, for like 3 bites. Then he just spit the rest out. I let Madeline try and feed him a few bites. She was lecturing him on the importance of eating and getting good nutrition so he can be as tall as her one day. That didn't really work either. He was very cute as he spit out his food, and seemed like he had fun. Maybe next week he'll get the hang of it a little better.
I am pretty sure we will look back on this day in 13 years and laugh at the little boy who didn't really eat his food. From my understanding of boys, this will be the only time he doesn't eat.

Another Awesome Weekend!

2010-05-27T08:50:00.000-05:00

I am so lucky, I have had such an amazing May. I love the weekends, who doesn't. It's so nice to be around the people I love all the time, not to put down my coworkers, because I really do like all of them, but they can't compete with my two little ones, and Andy. This weekend we had lots of great family time. Saturday was filled with farmer's market adventures, a golf outing for Madeline and Andy, scrapbooking, and an evening picnic.

Sunday I didn't take many pictures, because a lot of it was spent at the pool, and that just doesn't seem like a safe place to bring my camera. If you had been there, you would have seen 2 very cute little girls (my best friend, Breck, and her boyfriend and his daughter were in town and we all went to the pool together), and the most adorable little boy in the world. Every time I looked around people at the pool (mostly other moms), were pointing towards us with giant smiles on their face. Owen loves the water. He loves baths, and he most definitely loves swimming. He just relaxes and takes it all in. Next time I need to remember my point and shoot camera to take pictures of Owen. And Madeline is really starting to get the hang of swimming. She has work to do, but I'm predicting a short solo swim by mid-summer. We did have some pajama time at the end of the day that I caught on camera. Madeline and Owen are really amazing siblings. They truly enjoy each other so much. They both light up around each other. It's very cool to watch their love grow every day.

Our next two weekends are already full, and then I'll probably have to work through the following weekend, so this weekend was especially nice and peaceful. And how awesome is it that we got to spend the whole weekend together.

5 Months

2010-05-26T09:27:00.003-05:00

My mom had the best idea when Madeline was born to take a monthly picture with a stuffed animal so that we could look back and see how much she grew and changed each month. We did this with Madeline, but like so many things I start, I never really followed through very well. This is my eternal problem. I'm not short of great ideas, or good intentions, and I think I'm really great at beginings. I'm just not always the best at follow through. Looking back at Madeline pictures it looks like I lost interest / got busy and forgot at about month 9. I am going to really try to not do the same to Owen. It has been 5 months, and I have been very dilligent with the monthly pictures. Hopefully I can keep it up.

Fashion Show

2010-05-24T21:55:00.000-05:00

Fashion Show, Fashion Show, Fashion Show at lunch!

That is from one of my all-time favorite Office episodes and I find myself singing that all the time. Now Madeline knows it.

For her birthday last week Andy and I gave her 2 gifts, kind of a his and her gift, but they were both from both of us. We gave her a set of golf clubs, I'll address that on another day, but no we are not crazy parents who are going to push her into jr golf at age 4. We also gave her a shopping spree. This is not nearly as tween-ey annoying as it sounds. Madeline has outgrown a lot of her summer dresses. She usually gets a lot of clothes for her birthday, so I intenionally held off on buying her anything this year. But she had a fun birthday year and got lots of great non-clothes gifts. Usually I got clothes shopping without her. It's easier, and then I can pick out the clothes I like for her, and she doesn't wind up with a wardrobe of exclusively Dora and Barbie. So for her birthday, we went shopping online together. I gave her the choice of shopping online the day after her birthday or waiting until the weekend and going together. She chose online because she loves getting mail. Last week the clothes arrived, and Madeline did a great job of picking out new clothes. She wanted to try them all on, and insisted I take pictures of each outfit. She danced and pranced in each outfit. I didn't know a 4 year old could be so excited about clothes.

Owen does not need the excuse of new clothes to wear 5 outfits per day. He is quite the little drooler and manages to get everything soaking wet. This weekend I gave in and let him wear just a diaper for several hours.

Lazy Weekend

2010-05-19T15:03:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we accomplished nothing; it was the most amazing weekend in such a long time. I have a tendancy to plan out every minute of our day, so it was kind of nice to have nothing to accomplish. Plus, it rained almost the whole weekend, so it was the perfect time to just stay in and enjoy each other. Andy went out of town to visit a college friend who finally graduated after 14 years. I was a little nervous going into the weekend. It was my first time with both kids for more than just a couple of hours. Madeline has figured out that she can get away with infantely more when I'm feeding Owen or trying to get him to sleep, and she has started taking advantage of that. It puts me in a very precarious position, do I raise my voice and risk waking Owen up, who fights sleep so hard, or just ignore whatever she is getting in to. I was nervous, but I was also a little excited. I really wanted us to have a fun weekend, and really wanted to prove to myself that I could survive outnumbered.

We were stuck inside almost all day Saturday, but Madeline was amazing. She watched her dance recital video about 5 times, and danced along with every class. Owen and I watched her, and occasionally joined in, but couldn't perform up to Madeline's standards most of the time. I discovered that Owen loves watching the rain. I set his swing up facing the window outside and he loved it. He is going to enjoy summer afternoons on Grandma and Pappy's porch watching the storms roll in with Pappy and Rusty. In the afternoon we worked on a mosaic pixie picture that she had gotten for her birthday. It finally stopped raining in time for us to make a trip quick to the park. Madeline does not stand for her clothes to get wet, so she wore her rain boots, and hiked her dress up as she stomped through the puddles. Owen watched very intently as Madeline tried to explain how to pump your legs so you can swing like a big girl. This is a skill she aquired very recently, but she talks like she is an old pro. My good friend Ashley came over for a dinner of mac and cheese and hot dogs, and then we went to our favourite cupcake place for dessert. It was such a slow peaceful day.

Sunday we had a picnic in the backyard and played silly games that Madeline made up. Madeline decided she was old enough to hold Owen in her lap without any help. She did a great job, and he cooperated nicely. I think that might have been her happiest moment all weekend. She is such an amazing big sister and has so much love for Owen. And he adores her.

I was so nervous going into the weekend that it was going to be hectic and crazy, but it was just the opposite. It was so nice to just enjoy each other and just play. I wish Andy had been there to enjoy it also, but the good thing about weekends is they're only 5 days apart.

Happy Birthday Cupcake

2010-05-18T15:55:00.004-05:00

Madeline's 4th birthday was last week and she totally rocked it. She had about 5 parties, and I made more cupcakes in one week than I did all of 2009. I taught myself a little about cake decorating, and was really glad I made a practice cake in April. Her birthday cake was about 500 times prettier than my first attempt. Madeline really wanted her party this year at an inflatable place, and it was perfect. She had lots of friends from school and life excited to celebrate with her. One of my friends has a daughter that is abut 2 1/2 years old. Madeline's big sister instincts kicked in to gear and held Isabella's hand taking her to all of the different inflatables. She really adored having all of the attention. It was a really fun weekend, and a great early mother's day treat for me.

For her actual birthday, she had a little celebration at school. For birthdays at her school, we had to make a poster with pictures of her previous birthdays. They talk about different milestones met at each age, I'm guessing to really understand what getting older is about. The birthday child also gets to hold a globe and walk around a candle as everyone sings a song, "The Earth Goes Round the Sun". So bonus, she learns a little science. Andy went to her school for that. he said she smiled the whole time, so happy to have 40 little eyes fixed on her. For her birthday dinner, we told her we would go anywhere she wanted or I would make anything she wanted. I will admit that I worked very hard to sway her, and we did not go to McDonalds. We went to Hasta La Pasta and she got to wear her Fancy Nancy shoes and got a birthday cake at the restaurant. She had a really great birthday, and is already planning for next year!

My 4 year old!

First Recital!

2010-05-17T16:36:00.000-05:00

On May 1st, Madeline had her first dance recital. She did a phenomenal job. She actually danced the entire song, and knew most of the moves. Julia and Zac, and my parents came in town for the weekend. Aunt Anne, Uncle Wen, Hannah, Pappa George, and Granna all came to watch. It was a really special day for Madeline. The dance company hired an outside videographer, so there was no photography during the performance, but we got plenty beforehand. Afterwards, we went for post-recital ice cream at Julia's favourite place, Baskin Robbins (or BR 31 for Julia). I was so proud of Madeline and so happy she has so many wonderful people to support her.

2 busy months

2010-05-16T16:08:00.004-05:00

So it's been 2 months since I last blogged. It's been a busy 2 months. First, I went back to work. That was actually really hard this time. With Madeline I was ready to go back to work. I was ready to be around adults again, and I was ready to be around people I could relate to. A lot has changed though. Now I have friends that have children, I have grown into motherhood, and I have learned how to have friends that don't have children. I was not ready to go back, not at all. But, I did. I went back because that is the path we chose a few years ago, and it is the what it is. And good things have happened. I cherish the evenings with both children more. I get to really enjoy our weekends together. And Owen has gotten to meet a lot of new people, and a lot of new people have fallen in love with him. And I have gotten a chance to see my friends more, which is always nice. Here are some of my favourite pictures of the kdis that I have on my screensaver that make me smile at work.

Swimmer

2010-03-16T10:37:00.004-05:00

The first 2 weeks of March, Madeline took swim lessons every day. We are going to take 2 weeks off, and then do 1-2 days / week beginning in April. I was very impressed with how much she learned and how much progress she made in her 2 week class. The parents were not allowed in the pool area until the last day, so I just have pictures from their last lesson. Madeline did such a great job. I cannot wait until the neighborhood pools open so we can go swimming together.

Springtime in Texas

2010-03-16T09:40:00.003-05:00

I think March and April are easily my favourite months. Its warm and sunny outside, but not quite hot yet. I like to spend as much time as possible outside. Madeline can play in the barkyard or with sidewalk chalk, and I bring Owen's swing outside so even he can enjoy the fresh air. We eat dinner outside during these months, and go to the park as often as possible. Here are a few pictures of Madeline playing outside the past few weeks.

Family Pictures

2010-03-08T11:12:00.003-06:00

This past weekend, we went to Austin and got to visit with one of my favourite people. Shauna and I have been friends since we were in diapers. She is probably the nicest person I have ever met. I'm not sure if I've ever heard her say anything mean. In addition to being the sweetest person in the world, she is also an amazing photographer. She took some family pictures this past weekend. I had planned on doing another round of family pictures in the fall, but after seeing all the pictures she took, I'm thinking maybe this spring, and then again in the fall. :)

I'll post all of the pictures in an album on our shutterfly, and you can also see them at her website: Autry Photography

He Coos, He Smiles

2010-02-27T09:24:00.002-06:00

Here is a really cute video of Owen and my dad.

Owen is not cute!

2010-02-24T16:48:00.002-06:00

he's handsome.

At least that's what Madeline tells me everyday. She has really started picking up on the differences between girls and boys. Girls are pretty, and beautiful, and gorgeous, and cute. Boys are handsome. She tells me how she needs girls toys, and girl stickers, but she gets just as excited to recieve car stickers and always wants to play with her collection of balls outside. In some ways she is such a tomboy, but in other ways, she couldn't be more girly.

60%

2010-02-24T10:57:00.001-06:00

Owen had his 2 month doctor appointment today. He is very healthy and very proportional. He is 23 1/4" long, and 12 lbs. That is in the 60th percentile for both. He has grown 4" and gained almost 5 lbs.

2 Months

2010-02-23T17:00:00.002-06:00

Another month has gone by, Owen has gotten so big! Here is his 2 month picture.

To Aunt Jules,

2010-02-23T16:41:00.000-06:00

Owen cannot talk yet, but I know what he's thinking. And the other day he were this outfit, and wanted me to post it on the blog so you could see it. This is one of my favourite outfits, and I'm already sad that one day he will be too big for it. Look how happy he is wearing it! I know you're not feeling well, so hopefully seeing your cute little nephew makes you feel better. :)

Homework

2010-02-20T10:37:00.000-06:00

On Thursday, we got our first negative report from Madeline's school. She has started disobeying the teachers! She is letting her social butterfly personality interfere with her school work. Andy and I have talked to her, and we are working on correcting her bahaviour. In the meantime, we are also doing school work at home instead of playing with puzzles or toys to make up for the work she is not doing at school. It is really cute watching Andy teach Madeline how to write her name in lowercase. Its kind of amazing how much coordination and practice it takes to write the letter "e"

To mom

2010-02-19T10:25:00.002-06:00

Mom,

This post is especially for you, from Madeline. This morning she asked that I please take her picture and put it, so Grandma could see her.

Road Trip

2010-02-19T10:03:00.003-06:00

Last weekend we took our first roadtrip with Owen. My mom complains that she does not get to see Owen enough, even though she might see him the most outside of our immediate family, and she lives 2 1/2 hours away. She had gone almost 2 whole weeks without seeing him, and was not happy about it.
We forgot how much stuff you have to bring for a baby, and we pack light when we visit my parents since they have everything at their house. They really do have everything we might need except for a stroller. babies just take a lot of stuff. It was a wonderful weekend. Jules and Zac were in town also, and we had such a blast hanging out with them. Saturday morning, I decided to try and straighten Madeline's hair. It looked really cute, but made her look so mature. Saturday afternoon, my cousin, Ellen, and her 2 adorable children, Claire and Nati, came over to play. The kids all had such a fun time, and I always enjoy catching up with Ellen. Saturday evening my Baw, Aunt Nancy, and cousin Amy came over for a fun dinner. It was a very relaxing, fun weekend in Austin.

Smiler

2010-02-17T11:45:00.002-06:00

Owen has started smiling all the time. Sometimes he just smiles for no reason. I've caught him smiling in his sleep several times. But there are some things that always make him smile. He smiles when I say hi to him, when my dad whistles for him, when he's watching the toys in the bouncer, when Andy comes home, and all sorts of new things every day.

A fun weekend

2010-02-04T18:22:00.001-06:00

This past weekend Anne, Julia, and Breck threw a wonderful shower for Owen. Lots of relatives came into town, and I got to see so many friends and family. We had a fabulous time. Owen was a little angel, for the most part. The shower was a lot of fun, and Owen got some great stuff. Madeline had a great time playing with her cousins, Hannah and Abby. Here are some pictures from the weekend. I've updated our shutterfly page with even more pictures.

The Hoarder

2010-02-02T13:24:00.000-06:00

Madeline has a new aversion to throwing things away. She wants to keep everything. She wanted to keep paper her Christmas gifts were wrapped in because it was pretty. She keeps the paper that the stickers are stuck on when you buy it. She wants to keep everything. I have started slowly going through her room and throwing stuff away. So far, she hasn't noticed, I hope she gets over this before she can read this blog and catches onto me.

What is with that hair???

2010-01-27T13:26:00.000-06:00

Andy and I learned after Madeline to not try to imagine what a new baby would look like. The doctors all thought Madeline would be a big baby with long hair. Instead she was a skinny little baby with male patterned baldness. With Owen, our only expectation was that he would have curly hair. We figured between Andy and I, there was no escaping at least some amount of wavy. Apparently we were wrong. After a month, our little one is still sporting very straight hair.

Brown Eyed Boy

2010-01-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

Madeline and Owen were both born with dark grey eyes. Madeline's eyes turned blue, and it looks like Owen's are going to be a dark brown (just like his mom's).

Pictures

2010-01-25T12:54:00.002-06:00

I have finally uploaded all of the recent pictures of the family to our Bartlett Family Shutterfly Page. I will try to keep that updated....

1 Month

2010-01-25T09:52:00.000-06:00

Happy 1 Month Owen!!

When Madeline was born, my mom suggested we take pictures of her every month with one of her stuffed animals to track her growth. It was fun to watch her grow, and the pictures turned out very cute. We decided to do the same thing for Owen, and use the same bear we used with Madeline.

It has been a wonderful month.

Not quite the same

2010-01-25T01:20:00.000-06:00

In the month that Owen has been with us, he has proved that he and M are very different people.

Madeline has always been pretty independant. Owen is more of a cuddler. Madeline liked to be held, but with Owen, it's not an option, he will be held. Right now, I am sitting at the computer with Owen stretched across my lap, because he would not sleep in the bouncer, the swing, the crib, or the floor. He wanted to be on me. It's kind of flattering.

Madeline was a really quiet sleeper. Owen is not. He spends a good portion of the night grunting and squeaking.

They both are the cutest babies ever, and fill our hearts with joy.

Big Sister

2010-01-08T15:01:00.001-06:00

Madeline loves being a big sister. She loves Owen, and has been so great sharing the attention. When he starts to cry, she is usually the first one to his side. She insists on giving him hugs and kisses, and is always gentle. I'm so proud of the way she has handled such a huge transition. I have no doubt that one day the two will argue, and fight, but I'm really enjoying the doting big sister taking care of her brother.

Christmas Pictures

2010-01-08T02:31:00.001-06:00

This Christmas was especially wonderful with Owen around. We had Christmas lunch at our house. It was nice to have our whole family around. I was a little worried how Madeline would handle not having everyone's undivided attention, but she was great. I think it helped that she was designated as the official present opener for Owen, so she got to open LOTS of gifts.

Madeline and Owen posing in their Christmas pajamas

Owen sleeping through the present opening

Madeline and Hannah showing off their new dresses.

Welcome to the world Owen

2010-01-07T14:17:00.003-06:00

2 weeks and 1 day ago, we were blessed with a new addition to our family. Owen greeted us at 1:26 in the morning on December 23rd. He is such a little angel.

Summer 2009

2009-09-06T17:10:00.007-05:00

Tomorrow is Labor Day, which is supposed to be the end of summer. So, I'll make up for the past few months with a quick summer update. We didn't have any big trips or adventures, but had a really great summer.

In June, the family went to Galveston one weekend. Madeline had a fabulous time playing in the sand and jumping over waves.

We also went to my family reunion in the hill country, and got to watch my dear cousin Shaun get married. It was awesome to get to see the whole family. M had a great time swimming and playing with her cousins, Nati and Claire. I didn't take any pictures (i know kind of unbelievable, but true. For really great pictures, Julia's picasa page has tons. http://picasaweb.google.com/JuliaKateOldham/HardwickFamilyReunion2009# )

In July, Madeline went on a solo trip to Austin and Midlothian. She had a wonderful time just hanging out, and on many adventures.

The rest of the summer we have just been enjoying the neighborhood swimming pools, and getting ready for the new baby. Madeline got a slip n slide and a sprinkler toy for her birthday that have both been used extensively. Here are fun pictures from Summer 2009.

More pictures are on our shutterfly account.

We're back....

2009-09-05T09:17:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the very long blog hiatus. I will try to be better. I promise blog posts in the upcoming week.

Cupcakes

2009-05-04T09:43:00.000-05:00

The other day Madeline and I decided we would make cupcakes. Madeline loves to help with cooking. She is good about just sitting and watching, but really enjoys helping out whenever she can. I decided that she could help ice some of the cupcakes. How hard could that be, and they were just for fun cupcakes, it didn't matter if she ruined a few. Let's just say, she needs some work on her technique. Her approach to icing cupcake is to repeatedly stab the cupcake and generally create a mess. It was very funny to watch, and she seemed to have a really wonderful time.

Toddler's First Haircut

2009-05-01T20:50:00.001-05:00

I realize Madeline, being almost 3, is really old to be getting her first haircut, but last Saturday was her first haircut. My friend, Rebecca, gave me a great tip on a wonderful stylist. Madeline was an angel the whole time. Now she has adorable shoulder length hair. My only problem is I just realized she has the exact haircut I was planning on getting....

When I told Madeline it was time to go, she came out of her room with EVERY purse on her arm.

The hair dresser asked if Madeline wanted to sit in my lap or by herself. Without pause, Madeline announced she could sit by herself. I was so proud of her.

Smiling Madeline getting her haircut.

Madeline poses for a picture with her new haircut outside.

I told Madeline to turn around to take a picture, and this is what I get. So cheeky!

Sunday Funday

2009-04-25T07:08:00.001-05:00

M has been amazing the past few weekends. She has been very well behaved and we have been so busy, and not had much Madeline time. We told her last weekend we would have a special day for her. Saturday was rainy, and I had to work, so we had Sunday Funday. We went downtown to Discovery Green Park then went to Downtown Aquarium to look at the fish. It was a wonderful day with lots of smiles.

We ate at this cute little cafe on a pond. M hardly ate anything she was too excited about the getting to play!

Kids could play in all of the fountains.

They have this fabulous net that woks similar to a trampoline.

Ths is also a fountain that just sprays a fine mist from above. M wanted Daddy to join her. I think they both had a fun time. She got SO wet!

After the park, we went to the Downtown Aquarium and M saw some HUGE fish, sharks, sting rays, eels, and even a turtle.

M stopped to pause with a giant fish!

Earth Day

2009-04-24T20:31:00.005-05:00

Madeline's teacher is so awesome and such a hippie! This was her week to shine, and she did not let us down. All the kids were supposed to bring in recycled material for arts and crafts and a plain white shirt. When I went to pick her up today the whole room was decorated in their arts and crafts projects using cereal boxes, egg cartons, yogurt containers, and such. But best of all, every kid was wearing a very cool tie dye shirt!

M is in an anti-picture phase, so all i can get are candids. This was the best pic I could get of her shirt. Isn't it so cute!

Easter eggs are yummy!

2009-04-22T13:15:00.000-05:00

Today Madeline RAN into the living room screaming "Nelson is eating my egg!!! My yellow egg. NOOOO!" I went into the kitchen expecting to see Nelson had eaten some candy, instead I find Nelson going to town on a yellow hard boiled egg. As I was trying to salvage what was left of the egg, Nelson hid under the kitchen the table and ate the whole egg, even the shell! Madeline was crying the whole time, and I could not stop laughing.

Easter

2009-04-21T16:50:00.001-05:00

We had a fun Easter. It was POURING down rain so the Easter Bunny hid eggs inside. She had fun either way and got lots of candy. Now we're doling out one piece a day, which means she should have plenty until Halloween. Andy had to go to work in the afternoon, so Madeline and I stayed around the house. We dyed Easter eggs, took lots of walks, and played a lot. Here are a few pictures of M finding Easter Eggs and dying eggs.

M hunts easter eggs inside

Nelson really wants one of those eggs!

M takes down a chocolate bunny.

Madeline had lots of fun dying eggs, but would not even consider doing anything but one color per egg.

My organizer

2009-04-19T12:01:00.003-05:00

Madeline is quite the organizer. I really think she's always been like that, and I'm pretty sure her Montessori education only reinforces it. Last week I had all of the coasters out in preparation for company, and M carefully lined them up around the coffee table. Friday, I got home from work and this is what Madeline had taken on this morning after I left for work. Thanks M, I've always wanted my shoes arranged in a perfect semi-circle....

2 years

2009-04-14T09:38:00.003-05:00

Happy Anniversary Andy. I love you.

Aspirations

2009-04-13T21:29:00.002-05:00

Madeline has become very anti-holding hands while crossing the street. This is our conversation as we took a walk today.

Madeline - Mom, I don't need to hold your hand. I'm an adult.
Me - Ok, M, if you're an adult, I guess you have a job.
Madeline - I do mom, I go to work every day.
Me - Oh really, well what do you do Madeline?
Madeline - I chew bubblegum.

Ok, in Madeline's grown up fantasy world, she chews bubblegum as a job. That sounds fun.

Photographer

2009-03-21T20:43:00.000-05:00

We try as often as possible to take pictures of Madeline. Lately though she has been very insistent that she is the one behind the lens. Fifty percent of the time she forgets to turn the camera around, so she takes an extreme close-up of her face. The remaining half of the time, she is lucky to have an actual subject in her pictures.

In this picture, she actually thought she was taking a picture of her doll on the chair. The camera was pointed the wrong way.

There is the doll!

Sometimes you have to lean to get into the frame

Dare Devil

2009-03-19T08:14:00.000-05:00

Madeline decided she had absolutely no fears the other day at the park. She did give me a bit of a heart attack. She decided, without warning me, that she was big enough to go down the giant slide. I tried it, and it is scary! I guess she did not inherit mom's scared of everything gene. On one hand, that means that I'll be extra worried, but I'm glad she won't be the only 10 year old at the pool terrified of doing a back flip.

This is Andy standing next to the slide

This is Madeline arriving at the bottom.

Morning Time

2009-03-18T20:34:00.000-05:00

I don't think anyone actually likes getting up in the morning. Nothing is more unmotivating though, than walking past your bed when all you want to do is crawl back in and see this.....

I never thought it was possible to envy a dog as much as I envy Nelson every single morning!

Our trip to the zoo

2009-03-17T13:14:00.003-05:00

This post has been sitting in drafts for awhile....

We took our first trip to the Houston zoo. Madeline was so excited to go, and could not stop talking about seeing all of the animals. When we got there, we started with the fish, and she was hooked. She did not want to leave at all. We had to practically drag her out of the aquarium. Then she got stuck on the ground hogs, then the giraffes, then the elephants, and so on. Most of out trip was spent trying to talk up the next animal. She loved every minute of it though. Here are some cute pics.

There is the cool clear tunnel through one of the aquariums.

Madeline and Daddy checking out the animals

In her love for giraffes she wanted to ride on our shoulders so she would be very tall.

Madeline LOVED the monkeys

It was kind of insane that prairie dogs are in the zoo, considering they are at every intersection in Lubbock. The exhibit was cute though, and M got to pretend she was a prairie dog.

M was in LOVE with the giraffes that day

She is brushing a goat in the petting zoo.

M's "Thank You!" hug

Show and Tell

2009-03-04T20:31:00.002-06:00

Madeline has show and tell every Friday. Usually she just brings a book, sometimes a picture of something she did during the week or weekend. This week Madeline wants to bring Nelson. A few months ago she took pictures of Nelson to school, but this month, she is adamant that Nelson George Bartlett come to school with her. I’m not sure how we’re going to dodge this bullet. 2 more days to figure that out.

OKLAHOMA!

2009-03-03T20:58:00.003-06:00

We went to Oklahoma this past weekend with Julia and Zac. Zac's family has a working ranch with lots of cows and horses. It was very fun but extremely cold. I was secretly a little excited about the opportunity to touch a cow, but they are quite skiddish, so that didn't happen. Madeline did get her big wish though. The whole week prior to the trip we talked about her getting to ride Dollar, Zac's horse. Dollar is 27 years old, and very very tame. Madeline was so excited. Prior to the trip I also took the time to sing "Oklahoma" to her several times. She didn't have it all down, but did sing "H-O-M-A Oklahoma!" all day. It was really cute.

Our two favourite Madeline quotes of the weekend were:

1. She saw a Hannah Montana hat at Wal-Mart and announced, "Hannah Montana is yucky! I like Hannah Texas!"

2. Andy asked her if she was a cowgirl and she replied back very sincerely, "No Daddy, I'm not a cowgirl silly goose! I'm a Dollar the Horsie Girl!"

Little Miss Mix - A - Lot

2009-02-13T21:04:00.004-06:00

Madeline loves to sing. She once sang the entire 2 1/2 hour drive to Austin. Right now her favourite song is "The Farmer and The Dale". Since she's still young and still working hard to memorize all of the things around her, somethings get mixed up. So most of her songs aren't perfect. Lately though, her songs have started to become intertwined. It first started when she would sing her ABC's. About half of the time once she got to "P - Q - R" she somehow morphed into "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". Her other mixed up song goes "Old Mac Donald had a farm and Bingo was his name - o". Today she sang "Rock a bye babe, in the treetop. Mommy's gonna buy you a mockingbird." Who knows maybe she has a dj career ahead of her.

Madeline's Phobias

2009-02-09T20:53:00.004-06:00

I have read that it is perfectly normal for 2 year olds to be terrified of things that are relatively harmless. Madeline has decided to take this to the extreme. For over a year, Madeline has been deathly afraid of cats. She loves fictional cats and actually almost threw a temper tantrum in toys r us this weekend when I refused to buy her a pair of Hello Kitty flip flops. Real cats though, are another story. Part of our nightly ritual includes checking under the bed and inside the closet for any cats that might have snuck in her room. When I told her that Santa would come in our house on Christmas Eve through the chimney to give her presents, she looked at me with huge eyes and told me she didn't want cats to come through her chimney. We are not cat people, but are constantly telling her how wonderful cats are. She has yet to be swayed.

This week, we discovered a new phobia. Madeline is terrified of the wind. She hates it. She is actually scared that the wind is going to blow her away. This weekend she melted down because Andy let Nelson go outside to use the bathroom, and it was windy. She stood at the backdoor watching him the whole time. When it's windy, which it has been for the past week, she cries, she whimpers, and her cute little brow furrows like she has just heard the most dreadful news. It's sad to see her so scared, but so hard not to laugh. I guess it's good we live in Katy, and not Lubbock, I really don't know what she would do there!

Granny Panties

2009-01-22T20:53:00.002-06:00

Since Madeline started wearing panties in October, she has only been interested in the print designs. The panties I bought had 2 pairs with flowers, one solid pink, one solid purple, and one solid white. She will reluctantly wear the solid pink or purple if the flower panties are dirty, but has refused the white ones. Recently she has started wearing the white. I asked her why she liked her white panties now, and she gave me her look of exasperation that I would even have to ask and said “mommy, grandma wears white panties!”

Happy Birthday Breck!

2009-01-22T08:27:00.000-06:00

Breck,
Madeline wanted me to buy cupcakes for your birthday today. I told her we have to wait until you come visit. :) Hope you have a great day!

Dance Lessons from Madeline

2009-01-21T20:56:00.001-06:00

I hate having a perfectly quiet house. I like having music or the TV on just for background noise. Usually I turn the TV on one of the music channels just to have something on in the background. This weekend Madeline and I were working on a puzzle on the coffee table and I started moving to the music. Madeline told me “That’s not how you dance Mommy!”. I asked her what appropriate dancing was, and she said “Mommy, you just move your dress like this”. And she started swaying her hips. I pointed out that I wasn’t wearing a dress, so she said “Mommy, just move your bum. “Ok, Madeline I’ll just move my bum” To which Madeline replied “And your gina Mommy, move your gina too!”

Enabler

2009-01-19T20:56:00.000-06:00

I am an enabler. Actually, I think I'm quite strong, but I've always had a soft spot for sleeping. Madeline didn't sleep through the night until she was almost 9 months old. She would wake up in the middle of the night, and I fed her, so she woke up every night for her 2 am snack. Then for about a year and a half, we were really strong, and she slept very well. Sometime around her 2nd birthday we started staying in Madeline's room until she fell asleep. For 7 months we said it was just a temporary thing, that we would stop. Finally we decided enough is enough, so now I'm listening to my sweet angel cry her eyes out, praying she cries herself to sleep quickly.

Timeout!

2009-01-11T20:22:00.000-06:00

Madeline loves her baby dolls. She has been in love with all of them for a few months. For awhile she just had 2, a cabbage patch, and a baby doll her Granna gave her. They were named "Baby Doll" and "Baby", respectively. She then took over a doll that was my sister's when she was younger (I'm pretty sure its a jazzersize doll, based on its clothes). That one is also named "Baby Doll". We would try to suggest an actual name for them, but she would just roll her eyes, and say, "No Mommy, that's silly!". Finally about a month ago, the idea made sense to her, and when my sister suggested she name a new doll after a family friend. Now we have "Baby Katie". This Christmas she received her first two Barbies (both named Barbie), and "Sophie", a cute little Pottery Barn Kid doll. All of her dolls are naked, and get their diapers changed frequently, even Barbie, which is really kind of weird to watch. Today, I walked into the game room, and all of her dolls were in separate corners. Madeline was standing in the middle of them all telling them, "That was very bad. Hitting is not nice. No ma'am. You need to go to time out!" It was so cute!

Life Lessons

2009-01-07T20:35:00.001-06:00

I have learned that as many lessons I try and teach Madeline, she never stops teaching me new things. Today I was putting away all of the Christmas decorations, and trying my hardest to bait Madeline with any distraction I could think of so I could put everything away. I finally conceded to let Madeline watch as she drank her milk. As I was putting away the nativity scene my grandmother gave me, I had just finished putting Mary and Joseph in the box and reached for Jesus when Madeline yelled "Wait Mommy" as she began reaching for Jesus. I started telling her to be careful and to give Jesus back to me, when she put Jesus up to her mouth and gave Him a big kiss and said, "I love you Baby Jesus, Happy Birthday, Good night." And then she gently put Jesus in the box. It was so sweet, and such a perfect reminder of what Christmas is all about.

No Longhorns!

2009-01-05T19:49:00.000-06:00

I don't hate the Longhorns, and I do cheer for them sometimes, just not always. My family however are all huge longhorn fans. So Madeline was bound to learn about them early in life, and I was not surprised when we left her with my parents for a weekend in September that she came back saying "Hook em Horns" and randomly yelling out "Go Texas!". I really didn't mind, it was cute. But, as November approached, I worked my magic. :) I could NOT have Madeline cheering for UT on November 1st when Texas Tech played their biggest game. So we worked on "Go Red Raiders!" and "Guns up Red Raiders" and "Go Texas TECH". But she still liked hook em horns, so I taught her "No Hook em Horns!" and "Hook em horns are yucky!" (I think that's very harmless jeering for a 2 year old). After Texas Tech beat UT, I have been very neutral with UT. But Madeline learned her jeer, and has no intention of quitting. Today, the Fiesta bowl was on TV and Madeline proudly looked at me and said, "Look, Mommy, those are hook em horns. Those are yucky!" I know chances are she'll end up at UT, but I'm still holding out for a more neutral school, like Harvard or Columbia.

New Year's Resolution

2009-01-01T20:33:00.000-06:00

After much peer pressure from my sister, I've decided to be a better online mother. So this is my blog. I will try to keep it updated, but I make no promises. I consider myself fairly ambitious, but am really not always the best at following through. I started a stocking for Madeline shortly after she was born in 2006. Christmas 2008, the stocking is still about 3/4complete. I am bound and determined to finish it in time for Christmas 2009. I figure it's just in time for her to start remembering..... I'm not much one for resolutions (I never manage to stick with them for longer than a month), but this year my resolution is to follow through. I will finish Madeline's stocking, and I will be a good poster (hopefully).