They Keep Me Busy

I'm feeling like the blog is being a little neglected lately, but ya know, some of it could be due to these two little munchkins...

(pardon the blurriness, our photographer apparently had a little shaky hand syndrome ;)

They keep me on my toes pretty much every moment of the day...well, make that night too (one IS still waking up a couple times a night).  I love, love them and wouldn't trade them for the world...but MAN, at the end of the day, I'm generally whooped.

Speaking of being a whooped mama, this article, if you haven't already read it, is quality.  I think she makes a very good point.  Read it.

And now, it's time to go to bed ;)  Goodnight, friends!

Is It Already Wednesday?

Well, technically here in Slovakia it is well on its way to Thursday...but I feel like this week is just flying by.

I'm guessing I feel like this because we spent the weekend away.  Weekends away always seem to make the coming week go by faster.

Is that just me?

I'm strange ;)

Anyway, we spent our time celebrating birthdays, listening to Jas preach (which he did in Slovak...proud of him!), playing baseball with some students, visiting a market, visiting friends who had just moved, and being in good company.  A full and quality couple of days.

Any moment with this girl in my arms is a good moment.  She's no longer a baby, but more and more an "independent" little toddler girl.

 Just couldn't help but put this one above in here again...I LOVE this pic!

And I'll end with these three of our jumping bean girl.  She could spend all day jumping if we let her, I'm convinced.

Ok, Thursday, let's do this!

She's A Cutie...

We were gone all weekend and just got back last night.  Of course there was time to snap some fun pics, so we'll be posting those soon :)

In the meantime, however, I thought I'd share just one sweet photo before I'm back with the rest...

I mean, really!?!  Oh, the cute.  Sweet, happy Nora.  Blue skies and baby love :)

A Morning Trip Downtown

This past Thursday Big Sis and I headed downtown to meet some other mamas and toddlers for a day on the town.  (this was pretty special for me because E is kind of going through a "No Mama" phase...so I enjoyed this quality time with her)

Our original plan was to take a city tour train around but upon further inquiry we just decided to walk and explore downtown instead.

E LOVED taking a tram (or a train as she refers to it) downtown and then she LOVED taking the bus back home.  She's pretty in to transportation these days, so it was a thrill and a half for her.

But while we were with our friends we shared snacks, got ice cream, posed for pictures, and jumped around a little bit.

(these pics also make me giggle because I admittedly chopped E's bangs a bit too short, or rather, I messed them up and Jas had to straighten them out, haha!  Where are you Brooke Blalock, when I need you!? :)

Before we met up with our real friends, we took a quick break to chill with these guys...

Have you seen a cuter model?  Doubtful ;) (biased mama!)

These two make me laugh.  Filip, all boy.  Elise, all girl.

And speaking of all girl...take these two for instance...

And then I tried to get a shot with my big girl, but instead I got these (which make me laugh)...

To end our morning out before E and I had to run some errands and head home, we did a little jumping on a stage in the square.  This picture below isn't compositionally perfect, or lighting perfect, or perfect at all for that matter, but for some reason I just really like it.

Though I'm really challenged by these Thursday mornings language wise, I'm really thankful these mamas are mostly patient with me and allow E and I to keep at it.  And I'm sure glad she gets to be around kiddos her age in which she can grow and learn along with them.  Good stuff.

E and the Window

She hears workers outside and excitedly says "weedeet" (when she can hear that they are weed eating) or "big truck" when a loud noise bangs outside.  And then she immediately wants to hop on this ledge and watch them work.

I walked past her room and was just struck with how much she looked like a little girl.  She was so calm and seemed so big taking in the world around her.

Sniffle Sniffle.

Oh, my girl, this is only the beginning of the things you are about to see and learn!

Nora Rose: FOUR Months!

I know, I know, I start every blog post this way when it comes to the girls' monthly reports...but REALLY?!  Where does the time go?

Our Nora is four months now...and this past month it seems like she's changed a lot.

This girl weighs in at twelve and a half pounds and is growing growing.

She's a quick eater and is finished in usually under 15 minutes.  Wildness.

She's been rolling from back to belly, but just recently started rolling from belly to back.  Go girl!

Cooing and making funny noises with her lips are her new pastime.  The cuteness.

She loves smiling and just this past week her Daddy got her to laugh out loud.  Love the laugh!

She's in a size 3 to 6 months, mostly.

Sleeping for her has changed some.  She used to sleep straight from 10 pm until 5 am, but these days she's been craving more milk and will wake at 1 am and 4 am, usually.

And she experienced her first sickness this past week...poor baby had a fever and a legit head cold.  All that remains now seems to be a cough...so glad we're on the tail end of that mess.

Nora Rose, it's so much fun watching you grow.  We love you...like whoa!

Sister Love

Oh these sisters.  The things they do to my heart is kinda incredible.

Their most recent feats:  1) some sisterly bonding, and 2) being sick.

I took these pics a day or two ago when Nora was just getting over her fever/chest cold/cough and just a day before Elise got what we now know is laryngitis and a virus.  Booooooo.  It's been a rough week for the tiniest Palmer girls.  

But while all that sickness has been a-brewin', their love has been growing ever deeper.  It's been amazing to see how they've started to interact.  Elise loves her Nora.  She always asks for Nora, talks about Nora, notices Nora, lays on Nora, kisses Nora, and well, you get the picture.  And what does Nora think of Elise?  Well, Nora lights up with a huge smile whenever Elise gives her attention.  Not to mention I've never seen a baby smile when her big sister lays on her.  It's cuteness overload.

See, there it is...straight up laying on her face. 

Those two above are blurry, but I love them all the same. 

Maybe, just maybe, all that lovin' resulted in some sickness sharing?  Who knows, but oh man, seeing their love grow makes me so happy and thankful.  And seeing them sick, that just makes my mama heart hurt.  Here's to sister-ship and (hopefully soon) health!

A Fun New Experience

I know this is going to come across as complaining, but I just gotta keep it real (that's for you Sonya ;) It's sweltering over here.  Like hot hot hot.  Our flat is pretty much hot year-round (we're on the seventh floor), but during summer, with nothing to cool us down at all (we're talking not even a breeze), we're all roaming around sweating!  Lovely, right?

That really has nothing to do with this post other than I was reminiscing on how cool and breezy it was by the sea and then how it was cooler in the mountains of Germany while I was going through these pictures and blogging this.  So that's why the rant on heat.

Anyway, here we go.  One afternoon in Germany we had a few hours to hang loose and enjoy.  So we joined some sweet friends and hit up the bobsled course.  I'm pretty positive that's not the technical name for this, but that's what Jas and I kept calling it because that's what it reminded us of.  Basically it's a type of "sled" that takes you up a hill and then you can either "gun it" or "brake it" down the course.  SO fun.

I will say I wasn't expecting it to be so fast, so I was a bit hesitant, but my friend, Allie, was a speed demon.  I hindered her run thus earning myself Granny status, but that's ok ;)

I like how in that picture above everyone is watching us as we prepare to dominate the course (tee hee).

Coming to the end of the course.  Total fun, even if I was a slow poke first go at it (second time would've been different ;)

Then the guys went.

Of course they both flew down the course...I'm just glad they didn't fly off (no, really).

And then we finally convinced Elise to go down with Jas.  She was pretty nervous the whole way through, but we're proud she finally bit the bullet and went for it!

(and I adore this pic below...)

Good good times.  And since we have one here in Bratislava, I think it'll soon be time to do it again...only next time I'm going all out! 

An Evening on the Balcony

So it's totally hot here.  Especially without air conditioning.  Thus the days are scorching, but the nights are cooler.  Particularly on the balcony.

Elise LOVES being outside, so we've been spending a fair amount of time out on the balcony in the evenings.  We draw with chalk, talk, sing, dance, watch what's going on below us, or play with toys.  It's just simple fun.

Sometimes we bring N's mat out on the balcony with us, but this night she was just right inside playing calmly so we let her stay there.  And yes, E really does need a haircut ;)

Three cheers for a balcony on warm summer evenings!

Elise Was Here

I looked over at Nora this morning while washing dishes and this is what I saw...

Ah, life with a big sis :)  At least Elise thought just the top of her head needed to be covered and not her whole face...whew!