Madeline-8 Months

Weight: Not really sure on this one as we haven't weighed you or been at the doctor for awhile.  You are probably between 15-20 lbs.  I have definitely noticed that you are getting chunkier!

Her happy face

Health: You're healthy as can be minus some minor teething issues this month.  You got in both top teeth so were up more than normal in the night when they broke through.

Coming to get us

 Social: You are still really content to be around whoever is paying you attention.  You love to play on your own or with your sister.  You love to play with Buddy too.  I am seeing some Mama love though.  You will go to others but if you see Mama you want to go back. You don't fuss just obviously lean toward me.

Diet: You are still mainly nursing although eat a TON at dinner.  You usually go through at least a jar if not more.  You aren't picky so I usually try to mix a jar of veggies with a fruit and give it to you that way.  You can be really demanding when it comes to eating.  You must have your food now and fast.  We feel like we shovel it in till you're satisfied then can move onto our own dinners.

You still want any food others are eating and get really upset until you are given it.  You love to gnaw on bread, carrots, plums, etc.  You are also doing really well with puffs.  They don't have much nutritional value but they are great for learning that pincer grasp which you are mastering!

Getting in on the preschool activities

Clothes: We put all your 6 month things away and pulled out the 9 month.  You were just getting too long in the the pjs and pants to stay in them much longer.  That was ok because there was a lot of summer things in the 9 month pile that I wanted you to get into before the seasons change here.  Like before we seem to be slightly off with seasons from Mara but it hasn't been too bad.  I rarely have to purchase anything for you.

You are on the middle snap for your cloth diapers and size 3 (here in Georgia) disposables at night.

With her daddy

Mama's Favorites: I love how excited you get about EVERYTHING. You kick your legs and scrunch up your shoulders.  You also have the most adorable facial expression and bury your head into whomever is holding you's shoulder.


Crying: Really only crying when tired or hungry at this point.

Sleep: You have fully transitioned to 2 naps a day and they usually last 2-3 hours each.  You are still my rock star sleeper at night going down for bed by 8 and sleeping till about 8 in the morning.  I STILL sneak in to dream feed you before I go to bed.

You sleep so well that I find myself getting cranky if you wake up an extra time that I'm not used to.  I try to remind myself that Mara was terrible in this department and I should just feel blessed you are a sleeper.

This Month:  You broke in two more teeth on the top. You've been moving around more too.

These were all so cute I had to include them ALL

Baby Likes: You love to eat.  You love your sister and stop what you are doing whenever you see her or hear her.  You love talking to people on skype and go crazy trying to get the computer.  You love to jump in your jumper.  You love your daddy but are a mommy's girl when upset.

Milestones: You broke tooth number 4 & 4.  You are sitting up by yourself and rarely falling over. You are so close to crawling moving from a sitting position to on your needs. You rock on your hands and knees and scoot back when on your belly.

Best of Times: We just love you little girl!  I think your Daddy really loves getting you in the morning because you are all smiles.

Worst of Times: A few rough nights when you were breaking in teeth.

Sister Diaries: She still doesn't like you playing with her toys although they are the only toys you want at this point...so it starts right?!  She wants you to be right by her where ever she is so that makes the above statement even harder.  She comes in to see you when you are waking up and hurries to get us when you are upset.  She does have her random times when she is unkind and not sharing but we are working on it!

Kazbegi

Kazbegi is a sleepy mountain town in the valley of the Caucasus Mountains.  We were able to travel here over a weekend with the embassy.  The embassy puts together short tours for their personnel and they are usually pretty amazing!

Enjoying the views from the top

The trip is very short, only 2.5 hours out of Tbilisi and we were able to make it to Kazbegi by lunch time.  We got settled into our room, grabbed a quick bite and headed out to make the accent up the mountain.

The church at the top of the mountain

Maddy loved the church too

Most of the group was planning on climbing the mountain but we felt that with the girls we were better off paying the $8 to hire a car to go up the hill.  The ride was bumpy and jarring and only 5 minutes into it both girls fell asleep.  Not only did we have to try to prevent ourselves from hitting the windows as the car moved down the road but navigate their sleeping bodies too!

View from our hotel

The views from the top of the church were amazing!  The mountain was covered in clouds but the valley and the town were beautifully nestled.  We toured the church and took a ton of pictures from the top.

Originally we had wanted to hike down but decided against it taking the car instead.  I'm so glad we did because it allowed us to have some time to hit up the pool in the hotel which Mara loved!  It also gave us some much needed family time away from the rest of the group.

Exploring another church on the way home

The next day we checked out and headed back to Tbilisi.  We stopped along the way at a small village.  We had originally planned on going to the pass between Russia and Georgia but a landslide prevented our passing.  In the village we toured a small church, garden and ruin.

My little model

It was on to another church/fortress on the way home.  This one had a little more history and "beef" to it as we were able to go inside the church, under the walls and around.  The kids had a blast running in the ruins.

Kazbegi was a great little weekend getaway that I see ourselves repeating in the future.  The views are breathtaking and it was a great hotel to just relax and enjoy the view!

The Elaphite Islands, Croatia-DAY 10

The last day of our trip we originally planned to drive to Montenegro.  Although we would have both loved to see another country we were just tired of all the driving.  Instead we decided that an island boat tour was in order and booked a short excursion to three small islands off the coast of Dubrovnik.

The first island we went to was Kolocep.  It's the closest to Dubrovnik and only really a 15 minute ride.  They only gave us an hour on the island so our main goal was just to hit the beach!  Most of the beaches in Croatia are rock so the sandy beach was a treat.  We walked the short distance to the sand and just sat in the water for the next hour.

Back on the boat we headed to Lopud.  By this time it was around lunch so the boat provided us with time to eat.  We had grilled chicken and fish.  Eating took up a good portion of our time here so we decided to stick close to the boat and just find a place for ice cream and a drink.  This is where Maddy had another good taste of ice cream!  Lucky girl!

The last island of the day was Sipan.  They gave us 3 hours here so we had originally planned on heading to the nice beach across the island.  Our tour guide book mentioned that usually locals are nearby to drive you via golf cart there but this was not our experience!  We started walking and didn't get very far before we decided it wasn't worth it.  So it was back to the dock and the beach there.  Despite missing out on the "picturesque" beach we had a blast.  Mara doesn't need a perfect beach just sand and water :)

Back on the boat the girls conked out for the day.  The sun had really worn them out and we got in a quick doze as well.  The last night we laid low and just grabbed a quick dinner at the restaurant across from our room.

Feeding the birds lunch scraps

The following day we were headed back to Tbilisi.  Our flight was in the evening so we had most of the morning to do something.  We decided to drive up to the gondola site.  It was actually kind of expensive to ride it (and short) so we decided just Mara and I would get on it while Josh drove back down the mountain with Maddy.  Mara is a huge fan of the gondola in Tbilisi so I knew she'd love this one!  The views over Dubrovnik were amazing and we really enjoyed a little Mommy and Mara bonding time!

Horses near the top

Going down with my girl

From there it was back home.  Even though we were only 2 hours behind Tbilisi the time difference was hard.  The flights were at night and the girls were just exhausted by the time we landed. They finally got to sleep around 6 am and we all enjoyed a sleep till 1 pm!

Our trip was an once in a lifetime event.  The girls traveled so well and we made a ton of memories on our first family vacation as a family of 4!

Dubrovnik, Croatia-DAY 8-9

The last stop on our 10 day adventure in Croatia was Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is typically what visitors imagine when they think of Croatia because of the wildly popular Game of Thrones which has shot scenes in the city.  

I was amazed at the sheer "steepness" of the city as we drove into it.  I have never seen a city built on such a steep incline rising from the sea.  Dubrovnik seemly rises from the sea to shoot rapidly to the mountains.

One of the many churches

The main square

We decided to stay a little out of town and I am so thankful.  Inside old town the combination of cobblestone streets and steep steps would have been hard with the kids (it was hard enough visiting during the day).

Our first day visiting the city we try to check off the major tourist attractions within the city walls. We toured the old churches and took time to get lost in the maze of streets.  Dubrovnik is touristy!  It's hard to avoid it, but we tried to get off the beaten path when it came to food and activities taking time to relax and soak in the city.  That morning we had found a little cafe that served the only IPA's in all of Dubrovnik.  Needless to say we managed to find excuses to revisit that multiple times in our short stint there.

A hidden street

We ended the first day with a stint by the water.  There are a few small rocky beaches around the city and we thought Mara would love getting to be in the water. 

The harbor

Mara and Daddy at the beach

Our second day we started off by touring the city walls.  It's a long trek without little shade.  We knew it would be hard on the girls but still wanted to do it for the amazing views.  It was killer.  Hot sun plus a toddler and baby made the trek difficult, but Dubrovnik from the top almost made up for it!

From atop of the walls

Mara the lookout

After touring the entire wall we made our way to the monasteries.  There are two within the city walls the Franciscan and Dominican.  Both are practicing today and allow visitors to tour most of their premises.

By the time dinner came around our girls were spent!  Since both were napping, we took advantage of the quiet time to fit in a little wine tasting.  It was one of those things were you stumbled upon it at just the right time.  We got to relax, enjoy a few glasses and feast on some adult conversation! Then perfect ending to our time in Dubrovnik!

Inside one of the monasteries