Juliet at nine months.

Juliet.
Juliettie.
Ettie-girl.

My blue-eyed, gummy-grinned girl.

You're 9 months old now. 


You get up on all fours and rock.  Then you push yourself away from your toys.  And you cry.  You're so frustrated to be going backward all the time.

Forward movement will come soon, love.

And for now, I'll keep pulling you out from under the couch.


You like to pull your sister's hair.  She is not a fan.

You're attempting to eat us out of house and home.  You plow through baby food.  It's a good thing I like to make it at home because otherwise you'd be keeping Ella's Kitchen in business single handedly.  And you love Cheerios, Mum Mums, Puffs, bits of bread, and the ends of baguettes.  So, you're following after your parents in their love of all carbs.

Just wait, babe.  There are cookies and cakes and donuts in your future. It's pretty special.  Your sister learned about macaroons in Paris last weekend.  Those are pretty amazing, too.


You love watching Caroline run amok, gnawing your toys, and pretty much anyone who smiles and talks to you.  Although you've got a special place in your heart for your parents.  We're thankful for that.  And your Mama?  Well, you still like to see her (and her... um... feeding equipment) at least once per night.  But that's okay.  I'm enjoying your winsome baby-ness and am thankful for the ability to care for you.


And those days where I all-but slam my face into a wall out of sheer exhaustion?  (You know, because getting up every night truly and deeply hits me once every 10 days or so.)  Well, on those days I'm extra thankful your dad doesn't care too much about how tidy the house is or whether or not there's hot dinner on the table.  He's always good with takeout pizza, bless him.


Your approach days with curiosity, determination, and wonder.  You played in the bath tonight.  We have crap bath toys.  But to you?  That brush I got from the maternity hospital in Ohio almost 3 years ago that I use to scrub the cradle cap away?  You sat and looked at that thing for a solid 3 minutes.  You put the bristles in your mouth and turned it over and over.  Seeing the world through your beautifully innocent and eager eyes gives me a deeper appreciation for what's good and simple and right.  Colors. Shapes.  Beauty all around.  Much to be thankful for.


You're sensitive.  You hate it when we leave you in a room alone.  If you had your way about things, you'd be constantly held, and you'd sleep in our bed every night.  That's not our particular style around here, but we still enjoy a good snuggle.  And your dad in particular absolutely loves "wearing" you in the Ergo carrier.  And you love it, too.

May God bless and keep you, Sugar Plum.

Love, Mama

Juliet at six months.

Our sweet Juliettie-girl has been a delightful addition to our little family. 


Huge, jaw-unhinging smiles.
Eager, thoughtful eyes.
Mischievous expressions.
Grabby hands.
Feet always poised to head into her mouth.


She's a mama's girl to be sure, but her dad gets the biggest smiles from her when he gets home from work.  He's also the best at getting her to laugh.  And her big sister is nothing shy of sheer fascination.  Juliet finds me boring from time to time, but Caroline?  She'll watch that girl play all day.


She loves to nurse, but she's super quick at it.  She's a bit picky about baby food (how DARE we try and give her plain vegetables?!) but if the mixture is just right we can hardly shovel it in fast enough.  She enjoys mum mums, despite (or perhaps because of?) the fact that crusty pieces of them end up EVERYWHERE.  Puffs are a work in progress.


She rolls around, and spins in circles on her back.  Just like Caroline at this age, she has little inclination to sit up on her own.  She'd much rather stand.  With you holding onto her hands.  And bounce/wobble on your lap.  Also, just like big sister, she's a little squirt of a thing, and barely on the charts.


Unlike Caroline, she's a pacifier girl all the way.  She's also much more of a snuggler.  We don't usually co-sleep, but Juliet would LOVE it if we did!  This girl wants to be held, cuddled, and worn (in a baby sling or pack or whatever) as much as possible.  Caroline, by contrast, cried if you held her too much, often preferred to kick around on her play mat, and still doesn't know how to snuggle.  So I'm soaking up the snuggles with this baby.  

And she has just finally started to sleep through the night every now and again.  Hallelujah!

So if you've been reading this blog for awhile, you may remember Caroline's weekly pictures.  Well, I simplified this time around... just a pic per month.  Ah, the life of a second child!












I was shocked last summer when I found out she was on her way.  Joy wasn't the first emotion I experienced.  But since that day the joy has come by the truckload.

Thank you Jesus, for this girl! Couldn't imagine our lives without her.

Our take on traveling with kids.

"Oh my gosh, traveling with two little kids?  How do you do it?"

We hear this a lot.  And while I know that mostly people are just being nice/complimentary, I think that some folks are thinking, in the back of their minds, "these people are nuts."  And maybe we are.  But we've signed up to live in Europe for just two years.  And we love to travel.  So we're going to try and make the most of this opportunity.


And since we have little kids (Caroline is two, Juliet is five months) right now, taking them along is a part of the deal.  And often, it's such a joy.


I asked Josh if I should write a blog post about traveling with kids.  His response?

"Pride goeth before the fall."

Too true! 

But let me assure you... our thoughts on this matter aren't coming from a place of we-know-it-all.  Because most of the time we're just winging it.  But we've come up with a few thoughts on the matter since traveling with little ones has become a part of our life.


There's a lot of crying in the backseat (Juliet), constantly picking up dropped toys (for Caroline), and our double stroller is the nastiest piece of baby equipment anyone has ever seen.  Curious what smashed up raisins mixed with baguette crumbs looks like when dribbled over with milk at the bottom of a stroller?  Come our way.

But here's a glimpse into our Clark Griswold-ish world of roaming Europe with two littles in tow.

Scheduling:
We kiss any notion of sleep schedules goodbye and roll with it, literally.  If the kids nap in the stroller, great.  We've gotten burned on trying to accomplish true nap times back at the hotel room, so we don't bother trying anymore.  By this point Caroline usually falls asleep as she needs to.  While we have seen Caroline in complete over-tired meltdown mode, it doesn't happen that often.  And it's nothing that a movie on the iPad and/or snacks can't fix.


 

Food:
We get especially flexible in this category.  Meals in general can be difficult.  We've found that here in Europe there are fewer "child-friendly" options.  While it's helpful to get some travel book/Internet/hotel front desk help in this area, we've sometimes simply struck out.

One night in Salzburg we found a place that was recommended by a travel book.  When we got in, they tried to put us at a large table with two other adult couples.  And then both of our children started LOSING it.  The couples at the shared table refused to look us in the eye.  I couldn't blame them  So we left.  We tried the place next door.  They were only serving ice cream.  So Caroline's dinner that night?  Ice cream with a side of goldfish crackers.  And Josh and I just picked up some cheese, crackers, wine, and fruit at a grocery store and ate it, picnic-style, in the hotel room.

*Sigh*

Don't get me wrong.  We ate some great meals at fantastic local restaurants during our trips.  It's a favorite part of traveling internationally for us, after all. But it doesn't always work out.  Grocery store picnics are a mainstay for our family.

Lest anyone think our travels are glamorous, we've actually learned to fully embrace McDonald's too as a convenient, viable option.   I have new respect for that establishment!  There's parking, a predictable menu, and lots of high chairs.  And - bonus - McD's has free WiFi.  We don't pay roaming charges for 3G-type coverage when we leave England, so free WiFi is a major bonus.

Lodging:
We are just not fancy travelers these days.  Maybe you like 5 star accommodations and room service?  We do, too!  But we don't have an unlimited budget and we'd rather take several small/cheap trips over one super posh one.  Just a personal preference.  But to that end we've found some great deals on little apartments, guest houses, and B and B's via Booking.com and vrbo.com.  We will pay extra for location, and look for options where there is a kitchen involved.  Beyond that, we're just going for basic cleanliness. 
 

This picture has nothing to do with lodgings.  It just makes me smile.

I think our last place was less than 50 Euros a night.  One bedroom + kitchen + bathroom in Amboise, France.  Mismatched furniture and a junky TV.  We had to bring our own sheets and towels.  It was perfect!  Clean and basic and we didn't even need to sleep in the same room as the kids, who slept in the kitchen in pack & plays.  We could walk a couple blocks to the main part of town for meals.  That's all our family needs.

Activities:
We don't do all that many kid-focused activities. All Caroline needs is a safe space to romp and climb and explore.  Palace grounds?  The interior of a cathedral?  Old-school gardens?  Or a playground?  All fair game.  We just try to see what we want to see, and give her some time and space to run wherever we go.


 
Dignity:
I was asking Josh about his thoughts on our crazy travels, and his response?  "Just be prepared to throw dignity out of the window."  We pack a lot of snacks and cheap-o toys.  We change diapers anywhere.  We're not above handing Caroline one of our iPhones + some headphones so she can watch Cars 2 while we have a peaceful dinner.

Sometimes the kids cry.  Or have a tantrum.  On the plane.  In a museum.  In the car.  At a restaurant.


We do our best to stay calm.  Keep a positive attitude.  Remember that it will pass. 


I flew solo from London to Salzburg with both girls.  Praise Jesus the lady sitting next to us on the flight was a grandmother and held the baby for me a couple of times while I dealt with Caroline.  Both kids did great on the plane.  I gate-checked the stroller in London, but sadly I couldn't collect until we hit baggage claim in Salzburg.  So that meant that my 2-year-old was not contained during the entire passport check line.  UGH.  She was totally uninterested in holding my hand, and got several time-outs for running away from me.  As a result, we were the last ones in line.  By the time we finally got through, Caroline had lost it altogether.  As we waited for our stroller and suitcase, I was simply holding onto her torso as she flailed all four limbs, screaming.  Juliet was mercifully sleeping in her car seat.  But the stroller came off of the belt, and I wrestled her into it.  And by the time we were in the taxi, the tantrum had ended.  And she was great for the rest of the day.

Looking back on it, 20 minutes of toddler tantrum is a small price to pay for a fantastic time exploring Salzburg and other central European cities. 


My biggest piece of advice?  If you want to go, just go.  You will figure it out along the way.




We treasure our memories of going places with our kids.  We'll always remember how Caroline used to serenade us to sleep in our hotel room, and how we explored York with tee tiny 3-week-old Juliet in the Baby Bjorn.  And how when we were in France Caroline would say, "I want to go see the chateau, Dada."  Caroline has zero understanding about architecture, geography, history, etc.  But she enjoys a visit to a castle or cathedral just as much as Josh and I do.  Maybe more.  Her innocent enthusiasm for exploring new places is a joy to behold.

Plus, there's something extra special about the family time we get in when we're off gallivanting around the countryside.  Josh works long hours, and doesn't see that much of the kids during normal work weeks.  But when we're off together, exploring?  It's our special chance to bond as a family. 

I wouldn't trade those memories for anything.

Baby love.

She's a full 7 weeks old now.


SEVEN!


Increasingly awake and alert.  Cooing.

And...


Yes, smiling.

She's gazing up at big sister in this one:

Melt me.

Side note: I am a true sucker for baby clothes that are "kimono style" like this H&M shirt. 

The girls and I are settling into life at home during the work week.  Lots of diapers and feedings and hugs and "Winnie Pooh" and an awkward combination of nursing and reading picture books to Caroline one-handed.

Let's just say that with Caroline doing the page turning, not every page gets read.  AOK with me when it comes to Cat in the Hat (a current favorite of Caroline's, but not so much mine.)

Caroline has adjusted to big sisterhood remarkably well, praise Jesus.  She's such a happy and busy toddler that I think she's too wrapped up in picture books, her Peppa Pig dollhouse, and spreading small toys around the apartment to give too much mind to a baby around here.  But she's always happy to oblige when we ask her to kiss Juliet in the "big sister spot" (forehead.)

A couple of weeks ago we tried out Juliet on a bottle and Caroline, completely unprompted, bounded up next to Josh, exclaimed "I big sister!" and proceeded to help with the feeding. 

We went in for our six week check last week, and found that Juliet is in the 25th percentile for weight and height.  4.2 kilos!  Which is 9 pounds, 4 oz.  I've been enjoying the baby thigh rolls.  Bring 'em on! 

This child bring us such joy.

Christmas in London

So we're well into January.  How 'bout a (mostly boring!) Christmas recap?  It's more for me than for anyone who cares to read this.  But since it was Christmas, and Christmas in a foreign country, no less, I know I'll want to remember how we celebrated the birth of Jesus.

Get ready for some awful iPhone pics as well.

So London gets gussied up for the holiday.  Everywhere you look you can find huge trees, lights strung up over shopping districts, and Salvation Army bands playing carols on street corners.  And lots of craft fairs.  I was quite charmed by the whole thing!  And you know what?  Everyone says "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Christmas" here... no PC "Happy Holidays" for the Brits!  Of course, Christmas here in the UK focuses more on "Father Christmas" (A.K.A. Santa) and the commericalization of the holiday more than the birth of Jesus... not unlike the US. But hey, I still enjoy the lights and hustle & bustle and overall merriment of the season.



 
Above: Sloane Square, Chelsea, Left: Jubilee Market Hall, Covent Garden, Right: The Jack Daniel's take on a Christmas tree, Covent Garden


The Christmas Market
From what I understand, these are a major wintertime attractions in Germany.  And copycat markets seem to have creeped over to the British Isles as well (although I understand the ones in the UK have got nothing on the ones you can find on the continent!)  Sweet little stands selling everything from mulled wine to knit hats to fake snow.  Caroline and I met some friends at one in early December at the Southbank Centre, and it did not disappoint.  It's a really pretty spot just down the river from the London Eye, with the Houses of Parliament just across, and boasts a carousel to boot.  And the fair-style food?  YES PLEASE.  I'm already looking forward to going back next year for the warm doughy cinnamon cyclone thing we enjoyed this past year.






Winter Wonderland
Hyde Park ramps it up a notch with some pretty intense festivities.  Christmas market shops and treats plus all manner carnival rides and ice skating and even a German "biergarten".  We made the mistake of taking Josh's parents on a Saturday afternoon.  WALL TO WALL people.  But fun nonetheless.


Carol Service at St. Paul's Cathedral
This was high on my priority list for the season.  I mean, how many times do you get to go to a Christmas service in a gorgeous historic cathedral?  Not to mention you usually have to pay to get into St. Paul's, and this event was free.  The Saturday before Christmas they offered a family friendly option, so along with my in-laws we loaded up the kids (including 10-day-old Juliet) and took the Tube downtown for the service.  We even saw our friends, the Floods, there!  And the service was beautiful.  Not too long or short, with fantastic music and even a little Christmas message which was preached by someone wearing a donkey costume.  Worth standing in line in the rain, to be sure.








At Home
Decorations were admittedly basic.  A cheap fake tree that stood about three foot high.  Homemade (by both me and Caroline) garland.  Candles and holly and felt stockings with the kids' initials appliqued on them.  But for the first time Caroline was old enough to teach her about Christmas.  We read books about the story of Jesus' birth every night.  Josh's parents brought her a toy nativity set to play with.  And we opened the boxes of an Advent calendar each night.  Obviously her understanding of the magnitude of the event is very much limited, but it was fun to hear her point out Mary and baby Jesus as we were reading the stories. I'm looking forward to establishing even more Christ-focused Christmas traditions with the girls as they grow up. 

Presents!
Caroline drew on her recent birthday experience and was an old pro at opening gifts.

PRESENTS!  She yelled on Christmas morning as she ran to her stash.

But we quickly found out that with her, at this age, LESS IS MORE.  We opened presents with both Josh's parents (Christmas Day) and my parents (Boxing Day) and learned that she was only interested in the first couple of gifts.  And was completely content and excited to play with those first few, leaving the rest in a gift-wrapped heap next to her.

Notable favorites: a Peppa Pig stuff and an Abby Cadabby (not to mention utterly obnoxious) tea set.







Oh, and a three-wheeled scooter.  Here in London you find toddlers on them everywhere.  Here's hoping Caroline learns how to use it soon.

Juliet?  She got a stuffed animal.

Okay, and an outfit, and a couple of ornaments.  She was super excited.

But I'll just count her as one of MY favorite Christmas gifts of 2012.  She's such a treasure to us and we LOVED having her in our arms on Christmas day.

I tried - and mostly failed - to get a couple of family-ish pictures of us on Christmas.  I even dressed the girls in matching outfits two days in a row.  Can you tell?  Nope, me neither.  Such is life with two very small kids!  And even though I have yet to achieve that "perfect sister picture" that I have in mind, these shots still make me smile.
And my personal favorite: Squinty me, who had taken off her festive red sweater to cook and forgot to put it back on for picture time.   Yawning Juliet who was apparently "over" picture taking to such a degree that she put her hand in front of her face.  And tired/overstimulated/not interested in sitting still Caroline.  Yes, folks, this is real life.

A VERY late Merry Christmas to you all.