Aleah and Sophie's 1st 4th of July

   Last year for the 4th, we went to one of my best friend's mom's house. Aleah and Sophie had just turned 2 months old. This was there 1st time going "swimming". Here are a few  pics from that day.

Sweet daddy and Sophie

Al and me

Al and me in the pool

Sweet baby girl!

Sophie with Heather

Sophie!

Ashley with both babies before bed.

   Weren't they completely adorable in their tiny swimsuits and their little ducky towels! They were sleeping all the time at that age. Except for the night before the 4th, they kept Josh and I awake until 10 am the next day. Seriously we were working off two hours of sleep. I can't help but miss those days. I am however loving their little personalities and their learning to be more independent. They amaze more and more each day. I can't wait to spend the day outside with them and some more family tomorrow! Happy 4th of July!

First Birthdays!!!

   Here are pictures from the first 12 months of Aleah and Sophie's lives. These are pictures from their month to month birthdays including their one week birthday. We even had a cake for their 1 week party haha! A sweet friend brought it over for dinner that night. Anyway, enjoy the pictures of these little sweet angels! Just look how much they've grown over a year!

1 week old

1 month old

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

12 months

   It gets harder to take pictures of them together. It's hard to get one baby to sit still and cooperate, so you can only imagine what I go through trying to wrangle to babies up and make them be still.
    They are now 14 months old. They never cease to amaze me every single day from all the things they learn. I love these girls, with their sweet and smart little selves!

Fun Filled Summer Day

  Okay back to nowadays. Yesterday, Josh had the day off so we took the girls to the park for the first time (with exception of when they were newborns and well you know how that goes). They had so much fun! They were too little to really play with most of the things but there were baby swings and the girls really just enjoyed running/walking around the park.

   Their sweet little smiles enjoying the swings really melts my heart! I just can't believe what big girls they are becoming more and more each day!

This was their first actual time to a park with their cousins Jack and Grace! 2 months

  

Al having so much fin walking around

Daddy sliding with Al

Sk playing tic tac toe

Mommy sliding with Sk

   

    Then when we got home they girls took a nap. When they woke up they ate a snack and we filled their swimming pool up and let them play in the pool while Josh grilled some chicken and pork chops for dinner! Oh how I love these days! We try to do fun things the days Josh is off work.

Al climbed into her water table!

Watching daddy lighting up the grill

After the pool... She was getting so mad that she kept falling over trying to eat her foot!

    What a wonderful day we had! I love summer! This is what it's all about!!

First Day

   Okay, so I was thinking that since I didn't start this blog until Aleah and Sophie were almost one, that I would go back and write about all their firsts. I missed out of a whole year of important things worth blogging about. One day I want them to be able to read this and see their whole lives and all those wonderful memories. So I will start with their first day.
   It was Saturday April 24, 2010 around 9:30 pm, Josh and I were watching House "Knight Fall" and my water suddenly broke. We were in shock because I still had two weeks before I was suppose to get induced. We figured if I had made it this far carrying twins than, I would make it until they decided to induce. Boy were we wrong. Josh called the hospital and told them to be expecting us. We were running around the house trying pack a bag for the hospital. Josh went out to put the car seats in the car. We finally got it together and we were on our way.
   The car ride was miserable for me because the contractions were strong and apparently I had been having them all day and didn't know that's what they were. The hospital was only 15 minutes away from our house. We arrived there around 11 pm. Thankfully because I needed something for the pain. We had several friends arrive sometime later and they stayed in the waiting room the whole night. My mom got the at about 4:30 am from Mobile, Al. I had called her right after my water broke and she got ready and drove in the middle of the night 4 hours to be there.

  At 8:38 am on April 25, 2010, my first little bundle of joy decided to make her entrance to the world. Aleah Lucille Bartlett had arrived and weighed 5lbs 1oz and was 18 inches in length. Three minutes later at 8:41 am Sophie Kay Bartlett joined us. She weighed 4lbs 15oz and was also 18 inches long. From that moment I knew I was in love. They complete me. They complete us!

Aleah Lucille Bartlett

Sophie Kay Bartlett

Our first family photo!

Close

Best Friends!

They day we went home!

     I know this is over a year later but I really just wanted to tell their whole story staring from the beginning of their lives! And also I wanted to thank all of the very special people in our lives who came out that night and over the three days we were in the hospital! Every one of you made the first few days of their lives very special for us! We love you guys!

A Quick Trip To Decatur

    We went to Decatur a couple of weekends ago for this pretty little girl's dance recital. She is so talented! I really enjoyed watching the whole recital. It brought back memories from when I was little. I can't wait to get Al and Sk in dance classes. Speaking of Al and Sk, they were the most well behaved babies I have ever seen at the recital. They sat through about half the show without making a peep. They actually enjoyed watching the show. I am one proud mommy. I am also a proud aunt! Grace was AWESOME!!!
  While we were in Decatur we celebrated Josh's Memaw's 84th birthday. To look at her you would never think she was 84. She is such a sweet person. I am so glad we got to be there for her birthday! We had a little cook out to celebrate. After we ate we took Aleah, Sophie, and Grace outside and let them play in the sprinklers. It was so sweet to watch the girls play with their older cousin. G is so good with them. The only thing that was missing that day was Jack! He stayed home with his daddy so he could go to one of his little friend's birthday party.  

   On the last day there we went to our friend Tracy's pool. She was such a sweetheart to have us over. This was the first time Al and Sk had been in a big pool since they were about 3 months. Last year we took them swimming when they were tiny little things. They weren't even big enough for floats. Look at those sweet faces. They really enjoyed our day at the pool.

   Grace and I had lots of fun jumping in the pool. I was trying to get her to jump in the deep end but she wasn't quite ready for that. She did however swim out to the deep end. I am very proud of her. Aren't these two so precious!

   Of course Al and Sk had to take a break to eat a snack. We brought their pack and plays so we could put them down for a nap. We set them up on the patio under the ceiling fans. They actually never went to sleep but they were really good and rested for a while.

  This is after a long, hard day swimming!


 

Aleah And Sophie's 1st Birthday Party

  I decided not long after Christmas that we were gonna throw the girls a sailor birthday party. A sailor outfit Santa brought  them for Christmas inspired my idea. The outfit just so happened to be 12 month.

  We started with these cute invitations. One of our good friends Jason made these. So adorable! My mom picked out the bottle that my little Aleah is holding on the right. We sent out our cute little invitations in these cute little bottles. The bottles were one of my favorite little details for this party.

    Josh made the girls a boat so we could take pictures of them playing in it at their party. He is such a good daddy. He did such a great job on it!

  Isn't he just so precious! I am thankful for such a good man.

   He worked very hard on this boat. Those little girls are so blessed!

  





 Almost finished! He is testing it out for them!

   Didn't he do such a great job! I am so proud of this boat!

   Aleah would not wear her hat. No matter how many times I tried to put it on her.

   She would just get so upset. I had to let her have her way since it was her birthday party.

   We got some really cute pictures of them in their boat. It's difficult to get them to both look and smile.

   These have got to be the cutest sailors ever!

   While Josh was busy making a boat I was busy making sailor hats for everyone to decorate with stickers.

   We had to try them on to make sure they looked okay.

   Everyone really seemed to like them. Even the adults were wearing them and some of them even decorated them!

   This is the treasure chest that Josh and I made to use for the time capsule. Everyone brought something to put in it for Aleah and Sophie to open when they turn 21. Beside it is a picture of them when they were just a few days old. Look how much they have changed!

   They had so many presents. I am still trying to find a place for everything.

   Josh and his sister Melanie set up everything. I had to go get the girls and bring them to their party.

   They really did such a nice job decorating and setting it up.

   This is the blue ocean punch Josh made. It has fish and octopi in it. Gummy ones of course!

     This is the party favor table. I love the way this table was set up! It looks great!

   My favorite part about the entire thing was this lovely cake! I was so proud of it. I of course didn't make it!

   See the little sailboats say SS Aleah and SS Sophie! It was so detailed. Even the smash cakes were little life preservers!

   They are eating a pieces of a sandwich I didn't want the only thing they ate to be cake.

    Of course we had special bibs made by their Aunt Meme just for them to eat cake in. She spoils them!

   They also have bloomers made by their Aunt Meme but you can't see them in any of these pictures.

   Sophie wasn't real sure what to do with this cake, but Aleah knew exactly what to do!

   Still no hit. She just had her hands on top.

   Aleah is eating it up.

   Sophie thought it was better used as a pillow. She was tired at this point anyway.

 

     Okay there she goes! She figured it out.

   Aleah is still going strong!

   A little break. I think so!

   You can't even read their bibs anymore. Oh no! How will we ever tell them apart?

    For some reason Sophie was really blue and Aleah was really red. They had the exact same cake with the same icing. The only difference was name.

    One last bite!

    They really do love us!

     Sophie's face had been wiped of a few times because she kept getting cake in her nose! Of course my mom was freaking out and didn't want her not to be able to breathe.

   Daddy loves his girls! They love him too!

   Now it's time for presents!

    Aleah is trying to take something from Sophie! They are so tired at this point!

    Josh had to go ahead  and open these baby dolls because they both wanted to play with them.

 These cute dresses were made by their Aunt Meme! She is so talented I tell you what. She also made beach towels for them with their letter.

    My baby walking around! What a big girl!

  

   I think everyone is having fun!

    Josh and both of our moms!

   All the kids had fun in the boat. Even the big kids enjoyed it!

   The girl with their oldest cousin!

     Jack really enjoyed his party favor I believe!

    Sisterly love!

    Jason was on it with the picture taking! He took over 700! Wow!

   More sisterly love!

 
   Well that's it for their first birthday party. Man this past year flew by. I just can't get over them turning one already. They are still suppose to be tiny and just a few days old! Anyway, I would have to say first birthday party was a big success. Thank God because it sure was stressful and exhausting, but it was fun and worth it!