A Weekend Away

This past weekend we packed up the car again and headed about two hours away to hang out with our friends the Ban's.  They graciously invited us to spend some time with them at their chata (mountain cabin that many Slovaks have to enjoy during the warm months particularly).

Let me just make a note here that traveling with a baby and a toddler is no easy feat.  We're talking gear upon gear upon gear we need for those two when hitting the roads.  I think we must over-think it...and I still forgot stuff (namely Elise's underwear...inconvenient!).  Oh well.  Ya live, ya learn how to travel with babies.

Over the weekend we chatted, mowed the lawn (well, Jas did...which he loved!), took care of the babies (they have a sweet 6 month old), grilled out, celebrated Father's Day with candy and a card, played games, ate ice cream, took a mini hike, and just enjoyed time together.  It was quite nice...but I'm sure you'd rather just see pictures, huh?

Here ya go...

Meet Debi.  Yeah, she's seriously cute.

 Father's Day pic with the babes.

 Elise picked these and I loved how the sun was shining on them.  Photo op!

A new favorite pic of these two.

You ask the girl to give you a model pose, and this is what she does :)

Buddies!

With our little N.  I think it looks like she's smiling here.

And here it looks like N is a little terrified of Debi ;)  These two are just a few months apart...cuteness (and I'm still laughing about N's face).

Thanks, Ban's, for a fun weekend!  Let's do it again...here's hoping next time we won't forget anything! :)

Ah, Motherhood...

I love this little girl...

And I love this little girl...

But this is really more like it...

That's better.

Ah, motherhood :)

Road Trippin'

This past weekend we took a road trip out east to visit our dear friends, the Holloway's.

A road trip in which we passed castles the likes of this one...

Which just so happens to be (so I hear) the third largest castle ruins in Central Europe.  Pretty cool, huh?

And what should've been a five hour trip definitely took six hours plus some with a nursing baby and an active toddler.  So we made a stop at one of the only kid-friendly, quick stops on Slovakian roads, McD's, baby.

(phone photo...we still haven't joined the ranks of the iphone holders, thus the lesser quality pic :)

However, we did finally make it and enjoyed a lovely three days in Presov.  We went to DEPO (local youth community hangout), ate some delicious food (I think I gained at least a pound!), visited a local market where Elise fell into a fountain (or perhaps was pushed...it's still up for debate ;), and went to their local church.  Of course we also hit up the park...

...and while we were there we made sure to get a group shot.  First, a serious one, then a funny one :)

Elise and Nora didn't really get the funny face memo, though.  And I think I'm the only one who really bought into the whole funny face thing ha (crazy eyes, much?).  Let me just add, I'm surprised I was even able to smile in between all the sneezing I was doing...allergies were RIDICULOUS for me that day.  Whew.

And I'm adding this picture of these two hanging out at their house because I just love it.

All in all, it was big fun and we were so glad to be able to spend some time with these two!

But all big fun has to come to an end sometime (or does it?), and we made our way back to the Blava (aka Bratislava).  Only this time instead of having sleeping babies we had major blow outs and even a massive throw up episode...poor lil E! :(

But we made it home.  See you next time, Presov (and Holloways)!

Nora: Two Months!

Our little tiny turns two months old today!

I was telling someone today how it feels like a millennium when they're in your body, but it feels like time FLIES when they're out.  Crazy.

A few quick facts on our Nora girl...

1)  No idea how much this lil lady weighs, but she is in mostly all 3 month clothes (and how cute is that onesie she's wearing!?)

2)  The biggest changes we've noticed this month is that she's holding her head up a lot better and she's giving out the smiles!  Love it when they start smiling :)

3)  She's still eating well and I'm pretty sure she just went through a growth spurt.

4)  As far as sleeping goes, she's doing wonderfully at night (for which I'm incredibly thankful or I probably wouldn't have near enough energy to get up with a toddler and a baby).  Usually she sleeps from about 10:30 pm until around 4 or 5 am.  I'll take it.

5)  She's cute, she's cute, she's cute.  And that's just a matter of fact ;)

Of course her big sis wanted in on the photo shoot (read:  wanted to be the center of attention...she's having to learn to share now).

(side note: I'm in love with a pony tail, or pig tails, on a baby girl...it's too much cute)

Love love those two.  They stretch me and they make my heart want to jump with joy all at the same time.  Such a journey.

Happy two months, sweet N!

These Little Messes

This morning started out with a bang.  And by that I mean by 6:30 am I had encountered four different types of bodily fluids.  And yes, that is possible (and I don't mean my own).  Ok, ew, gross.  Just saying, this morning was, well, challenging.

Two little girls with very stuffy noses.  One couldn't sleep at night because of it and also had trouble nursing due to it being hard to breath.  The other little one is just learning to blow her own nose and use the potty...yep, that should explain some of it ;)

So, all in all, Jas and I were up early and faced with lots of fun.  ha!

But then things settled down and we got into the routine of the morning and I had a brief moment to upload some recent pictures.

And as I was looking back through them I realized that crazy moments will come and go, but these little chillin's of ours won't be young forever.  Time just does its thing, ya know?

And I had a renewed sense of thankfulness in my heart.  Even though I had been covered in spit-up, snot, and the like.  Nothing deep or profound, just simple thankfulness in realizing that this mom thing isn't glamorous, but it's worth it.

Babies have the most perfect lips, wouldn't you agree?

This little one really likes perching there :)

Big smile.  Love it.

Alright, I'm totally jealous of her amazing lashes (but OH so glad she got 'em from her dad!)