It's LOVE!

We have my family in town this week...

and we've been doing lots of snuggling (if you consider "lots" a minute or two at a time...ha!)

Jas shot these on the balcony and they make my heart melt.

Today my mom and Elise took a walk around the lake and I hear they had a grand time :)

(pre-walk and E was just minutes before a nap...)

And finally it was nice to have a recent one of the hubs and I (even if it isn't the best photo ever)...

And as I finish this, our little minute snuggler is tearing into a pack of water...better run!

Peas, Louise!

Apparently when I was a baby and was given green peas for the first time, it didn't go over too well.  I spit them out and was NOT a fan.  There was a book having something to do with peas and a little girl named Louise (I think) and I was henceforth given the nickname "Peas Louise" by my family.

Needless to say, I was anxious to see how Elise would do with peas.

Let's see if a series of photos will help you determine whether or not she liked them.  See what you think...

"You're kidding, right?  I HAVE to try this green stuff!?"

"It's green and squishy...and..."

"YUCKY!! I'm not swallowing this, I'll just spit it back out..."

(pause for us to clean off the camera lens)

"NO WAY!  You're crazy if you think I'm doing that again!!"

And even though her first go at peas reflected her mama's opinion, little does she know, she's getting them again later this week!  We'll make a pea-liker out of our girl yet....well, at least we'll try ;)

My Take on Cloth Diapering

{Disclaimer:  These are my two cents based on our experience with just one child...maybe a kid or two down the road my opinion will change, but for now...here it is :) }

Jas and I had very big intentions of only clothing diapering before Elise was born.  We were all about it.  Well, Elise was born and reality set in.  The sleepless nights, the many loads of laundry already, etc...it all just piled up (literally) to us foregoing the cloth diapering that we had set our hopes on.

Then came Mr. Major Rash (poor baby).  Still not quite sure of the culprit (squash? new diapers?...ironic) but we were faced with trying to rid our girl of the rash.  Cloth diapers were softer on the tush, so we gave them a whirl.

That being said, here's my opinion on the whole cloth diapering shabang...

(based on our experience with BumGenius cloth diapers)

Pros:
* obviously, they're economical and far better for the environment...love that aspect.
*  soft on the tushy (good material)
*  a lot less expensive!
*  can grow with the baby (due to the clever snaps)
*  cute colors

Cons:
*  non-absorbent  (I realize maybe the whole point is just to change the diaper more often and keep them dry/clean, but hey, they're still not very absorbent)
*  require more loads of laundry and cleaning
*  not as easily portable as disposables (and you have to roll up the cotton pad when you're out to save and bring home to wash...which means STINKIN' up the diaper bag!  We do have a cool lil bag for them....but still.)

Our consensus:
*  I think starting now we'll be doing a mixture of both.  When we're at home and don't have big plans of being out and about, the cloth diapers seem ideal.  However, when we're out, disposables may be the way to go due to their convenience.  Makes some sense, right?

That's our experience so far...we'll see how this combo method goes!  Dealing with what ends up in a diaper is not for the light-hearted, so these things are important, ya know? ;)

And because this post wouldn't be complete without some pics of a little cloth diaper-toting tot, here ya go...

Bathing Beauty

Elise is really getting in to taking baths.  She has started playing with the shower head and water stream and she never cries.  We've given her a toy or two and she seems to enjoy those, too.

I hadn't taken any tub photos in a good while and bathtime is a mandatory photo op for moms, right?!

Let me introduce you to our lil bathing beauty...

Got that arm out and all...relaxin' like it's her job.  (I guess it kind of is her job...be cute, eat, sleep, take baths, you get the picture, right?)

That is just one cute octopus-toting tot right there. :)

The Hat

We decided to dress Elise in a warm hat for church today because it was going to be cold outside (like snowing cold).

Here she is in her cute hat before we headed out the door!

APRIL FOOLS! :)  hehe.  That hat is a hand-me-down of a hand-me-down and we're not really sure of its origin...but we think it's funny!  She really didn't wear it to church though.

But what's not April Fools is that it really did snow today.  Seriously cold.  Can I get a beach, please!?

Weekend Happenings...

By way of camera phone pics (yep, I know, still no iphone/instagram for me...)

This weekend Jas was away in Presov (in the east of Slovakia) with Tom. So while the guys were doing this...

Us girls had us a girls' weekend :)

First off we shopped it up with our friend Zuzana...

Elise thoroughly enjoyed the stroll and taking in all the sights and sounds of the mall.

Then Saturday we headed to a really fun downtown open air market with our friends Claire and Gabo.

(this is a big area set up for kids with lots of fun activities...and colorful balloons!)

(and another side note...we're famous!  Claire, Elise, Gabo and I had our pic taken for one of the local newspapers.  I'll now be signing autographs ;)

Elise also enjoyed some more sweet potatoes...and she discovered her newest game of taking all the toys on her high chair and throwing them to the floor. Then repeat. And repeat again.  Oh, and then repeat :)

Sunday we headed to church...

Then it was time for Elise to attend her first birthday party!  Her friend Filip turned the big ONE, so we headed over to help them celebrate...

(small kiddos are hard to capture, ya know!?)

And then it was time for daddy to come home...and we were both ready!

But it was a good weekend.  What did YOU do this weekend?

Half Birthday!

Someone celebrates their half birthday today!!

Yep, it's true...Elise is a big six months old.

{That pose is just perfect because she's all about some toe-eating these days}

Weight:  No clue...will update once we go to the doc next week.

Major Milestones:  This past month has been a big one here in our household!  Elise now rolls over from her back to stomach - and vice versa - often, however, she does it only when she wants to, of course ;)  She also started laughing on occasion...which is just precious.  And as I blogged earlier this week, she started with solids.  Last, but not least, she can now sit up on her own (though she's a bit wobbly and it doesn't last for more than a few minutes at a time).  Big things, I say!

Other:  Her regular schedule has been off since returning from Germany, so Operation Get-Back-On-Track is in full force these days.  She's gotten a lot better with naps and is now napping ~ 1 hour or more twice a day.  She continues to love baths, doesn't mind flashing a smile at strangers, and overall is just a little ham...wonder who she gets that from? ;)

Cute as a button.  Happy half a year, big girl!  You're so loved.

Real People Food!

{Disclaimer:  This post is full of pics...and while I think Elise's baby mouth covered in potato mash is priceless, some may get tired of so many pics...proceed at your own risk.  You've been warned ;) }

Well, after picking myself up off the floor from realizing that our daughter is a whoppin' 6 months old, we broke down and gave her real people food!  (How can it be that time goes by so fast!?)

I spent an afternoon earlier this week preparing some foods to freeze.  I boiled, baked, and blended up some sweet potatoes and green peas.  Then, yesterday, we gave the sweet potatoes a whirl.

I think she was a little uncertain what to think at first, but then she seemed to like it alright!  She managed down about five yummy bites :)

Pre-food smiles.

Posing with mom.

Here goes!

Haha!  Such uncertainty...

Daddy's turn.

Still a little confused, but we were pretty impressed at how well she did for it being the first time.

And now for a video of her finishing up... (it's actually her last bite of her first bites...does that make sense?)

Oh my.  What. a. big. girl.  Up next week...BANANAS.

Little Croissant

I was lying on the couch taking a nap (read: trying to bounce back from lack of sleep due to a little one whose schedule is off) when I suddenly noticed that Elise was quiet.

She was on the floor playing...or at least that's what I thought.

Instead she decided to roll herself up like a little croissant in her blanket.  My motherhood instincts kicked in and I quickly got up (er, slowly rolled) off the couch and grabbed the camera.

Her croissant had unrolled a little by the time I got back, but you get the idea.

And yes, I did put her in happy rainbow baby leggings for the day, because, well, they're just too fun not to! :)

To Germany and Back...

We're back from our week in Germany...and we made it in one piece!

Overall, Elise did a GREAT job traveling, I'm thankful to say.  Let me break it down (mainly so I remember for the future)...

Flights:  On our flight TO Germany, E did GREAT.  She didn't cry at all, and slept mostly the whole way.  She took her paci almost the whole trip.  Walking the airports she was in her carrier and was just fine.  On our flight BACK to Slovakia, she did well until the airplane's descent.  She started crying from what I'm sure was the change in pressure.  Bottle didn't work, paci barely worked, but we did our best to distract her until we touched ground.  Then she recovered :)

Never fear, we documented her first flight, of course! (phone pics)

Conference week:  Given the circumstances, E's schedule was off most of the week and her nursing/napping times were changed...but all things considered she did a good job.  She didn't mind being passed from person to person and even showed off that little toothless grin.

Jas and I enjoyed the fellowship with friends, encouragement, and sessions.  We also got to take part in communion, which was a big blessing.  One afternoon, Jas and I got out in the lush green woods next to the conference center for some fresh air and good hubby/wife convo...

Since pics of he and I are less common these days, I felt two were needed ;)

We got to spend short but sweet time with these friends that we don't get to see often...

And while we were there Elise started (along with rolling over more and laughing) eating her feet...fascinating, haha.

Look at that baby tummy.  It's too much, I say, too much.

All in all, it was a refreshing and much needed week away.  Now I feel ready to start back with learning Slovak.  Bring it on, grammar, bring it on...

Day 24: Five Months!

For real!?  Five months!

Here she is...

Weight:  At last appointment she was 15 pounds.  It's been two weeks, so I feel confident she's gained some since then (hehe).

Major Milestones:  She can roll over from back to front and front to back, but it's a fairly rare occasion as she much rather prefers doing "exercises"....the girl is all about raising her head and her legs and working on those abs!  Still no laugh, though she smiles a whole lot.  I'm thinking the laugh is coming any day now...we'll see!  And in the above picture she's doing one of her favorite new things (sucking her bottom lip).

Other:  Up until this past week she was a solid 8 hour per night sleeper.  Then all of a sudden this past week she's been waking up several times a night.  Typically she'll cry a minute, then she'll get her paci and go back to sleep.  However, by the third time of crying after waking she's ready to eat.

Speaking of, girl can put down some milk these days.  She's eating A LOT.  Good thing we're starting solids soon enough, huh?

On to naps...she's not into naps.  At all.  I lay her down between 9:30 and 10 am and she'll sleep for maybe 30 minutes, if we're lucky.  Then we'll try for a second nap between (generally) 1 and 2 pm...and she doesn't always go for that one either.  Ahhh, well...she's been a good night sleeper (ahem, until this past week ;)

And just because I had this fun ribbon lying around...

We love you, Elise Noelle...you big 5 month old!

Elise Overload + a video

Just a few fun photos lately of us with the little one...

But before you look at the photos, you should watch this video.  If you know my husband at all, you will know that this is just him in a nutshell... (quick note: if nothing else, at least skip to 0:36 and watch Jason's face)

It's also why he shouldn't sing anywhere but the shower ;)



Was that worth your minute?  Sorry for the shaking...they make me laugh!

And now for the previously mentioned photos...

Hilarious Elise face.

"Why does your face feel like sandpaper, dad?!"

Another hilarious Elise face.

Ahhh, there's a smile :)

Love that little girl.

Photo o' the day to come later on today!