February 2007

Hello Friends and Family,

I hope you are all doing well. We're happy as can be in our new city. Daddy says I'm growing like a weed. It must be all the Czech food Mommy is feeding me. Mommy and I go out everyday, rain or shine. There's so much to see and do here. I'm getting more mobile every day. I can crawl from one end of our apartment to the other and will even stand myself up against a table, chair or nearest leg.

Mommy and Daddy took me to see my new doctor a couple of weeks ago. He seemed nice and had a funny mustache. Just when I thought we were friends he stuck me in both legs with sharp needles. It hurt and I couldn't catch my breath because I was so surprised. I'm never speaking to him again. He told Mommy and Daddy that I'm now 28.5 inches and 17 pounds.

Blogger added a new feature to the bottom of each blog page. Clicking the 'older posts' link supposedly makes it easier to navigate the blog. So don't forget to click the 'older posts' link at the bottom right-hand side of the page to view all the photos I've added.

Please let us know how you're doing. We miss you all.

Love,

-Laurence, Melinda and Britt

Mommy and Daddy have their theories about why I make fish-faces. Dad thinks I do it because I'm thirsty; Mommy thinks it's because I'm cutting teeth. Actually, I only do it because I can. I just figured out how to do it a couple of weeks ago.

I like playing around in the kitchen. The floor is softer than in the rest of the apartment and I can roll Mommy's old Coke bottles around any time I want. Now, where is that bottle?

Daddy loves Mommy and told her so with a big gingerbread cookie. Valentine's Day is catching on in Prague and, in my opinion, cookies are ten times better than flowers. You can't eat flowers, right?

The locals call the two buildings across the river on the right "Fred and Ginger" because they look like they're dancing with each other. We live just two blocks up the street and walk down to the river every day.

Daddy says my eyes are just as pretty as Mommy's and he said my smile is the cutest thing he's ever seen.

This was my Daddy's attempt to make a play pen. He pumped up an air matress, pushed it into a corner, surrounded it with pillows from the sofa and chairs, and filled it with my favorite toys. Nice try Daddy but don't you know I HATE the feel of an air matress against my body and the color of the air matress makes me cry too. The play pen idea lasted exactly one afternoon.

My Grandma and Great-Grandma from Texas sent me these warm pajamas. I'm so glad they're a one-piece. Most people prefer a two piece because one-pieces tend to ride up, but not me. I'm a fan. It's in my favorite color, too.

Mommy snapped this photo after I got out of the bath and Daddy put me in my pink bathrobe.

Mommy and Daddy say I look just like my Grandma Monica in this picture. What's your opinion?

Did you ever see that after-school special staring John Travolta called "Boy in the Plastic Bubble"? Mothers here, instead of staying home with their babies in bad weather, choose to wrap them in plastic and go for long, invigorating walks. Mommy found a plastic shell that fit my stroller, lucky me, and has joined the club.

Bubble-girl.

Mommy and I are in front of a church in an area called Namesti Miru. There are soooo many churches in Prague. If you're a fan of architecture, Prague is your kind of city. It has styles dating back to Roman times. Daddy says that's a long time and a lot of styles.

Daddy and I are standing in front of the strangest looking church in the area of Prague known as Vinohrady. It looks like it was made by Rolex or something. If you attend this church you'll never wonder what time it is.

Mommy takes me to the park by the river, a few blocks from home, when the weather is good. They have lots of fun looking stuff to play on but for now I'll have to settle for the baby swing. It's so much fun and looks across the Vltava river too.

Mommy said to 'hold on' so I bit down and held on the best I could.

Januray 2007

Ahoy from Prague!!

We made it. We're here and in one piece to boot. Mommy and Daddy say it's so nice to be back. I'll take their word for it. January went by so fast and there were so many new places and people to remember. Mommy and I are having a blast getting to know the city. We go for walks every day and Daddy even took us on the metro.

Please come see us soon because I miss my family already. You may want to wait until the weather gets a little warmer though.

Hope you like the photos. Oh, I almost forgot. Blogger added a new feature to the bottom of each blog page. Clicking the 'older post' link supposedly makes it easier to navigate the blog. So don't forget to click the 'older posts' at the bottom right-hand side of the page to view all the photos I've added.

Love you,

-Laurence

Those cobble stones sure do make me sleepy. It's hypnotic, the way they rattle my little bones while going over them in my American-style stroller. You see, the Czechs use strollers with bicycle-style wheels (air-filled) so the ride is smoother. My stoller has solid wheels and would vibrate the fillings out of my teeth if I had any. In this photo, Mommy and I are on Charles Bridge at night (overlooking Prague Castle).

There's a wooden loft in Mommy and Daddy's bedroom where the kids of the previous owners slept (I know, weird huh). It's empty now but the owners left behind this strange-looking fishing cat. Daddy named it "Fishy-Kitty" and it makes me smile when he props me up next to it.

I sure do miss my Jumperoo. Grandma Nellie tried to ship it but couldn't because it exceeded the post offices size limitation. All I have now is my Johnny Jump-up and what's left of my poor Jumperoo (the piece was shipped seperately). Oh well, I'll make do.

We were invited to a New Years Eve party and, of course, I was the guest of honor and the life of the party. There was food, drink, music and I got to meet so many new people. Not a bad start in a new city.

This is my friend, Jana. She hosted the party and lives only a couple of blocks away. She's nice.

Check out the socks I got as a gift from my Prague friends. Sweet, no?

Jet lag sucks. I couldn't shake it and woke up everyday at 3 a.m. for about two weeks. It was so terrible for me that I'd have to wake up Mommy and Daddy to tell them all about it. Here, Daddy looks like he wants to ship me back the U.S.

Mommy even busted out the stroller to help get me back to sleep. For some reason I would wake up the second she stopped pushing it around.

That's the building where we live. We're on the 3rd floor, last window on the right. Yes, we wish we had that balcony in the middle too. Daddy also took some photos of our street (below).

Here's a photo showing Mommy in the kitchen and the bedroom on the right. This was taken on the day we received all of our boxes from the U.S. (thanks again Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Nellie) which is why there's a huge box between the two rooms.

Mommy and Daddy bought me a hooded, one piece, Winter sleep sack. It's like a sleeping bag and keeps me from getting cold or wet during all the trips outside in my stroller. Daddy nicknamed it the "sweatsack" because I'm usually pretty sweaty when they pull me out after a long walk. Daddy's a dork.

Here I am next to the a statue of King Wenseslas. It's at the top of Wenseslas Square, the Times Square of the Czech Republic. I can't believe all the great stuff I miss when I'm asleep!

Mommy and I walk all over the city. This photo was taken only 3 blocks from home.

The reigning Mrs. Czech Republic, standing in front of the gothic Powder Tower (built in 1475 and one of Prague's original 13 city gates).

View of Mala Strana (Lesser Quarter) from Prague Castle.

Daddy snapped this photo at the Loreta, a monestary above Prague Castle.

Daddy took us to his favorite Asian food place in Prague, Maly Buddha. It means "Little Buddha" and serves the freshest food imaginable--or so I'm told. The restaurant is tucked away on the hill above Prague Castle and is filled with all kinds of Buddhist artifacts and memorabilia.

Help, my hands are stuck!!

Mommy found a sweet smelling gypsy girl at the local coffee shop, next to the grocery store. She was so cute she almost took her home.

Sitting in my stroller in the kitchen can be so relaxing. "Mommy, bring me another cookie!!"

Mommy and I like to play "who has the cutest smile" game. Mommy has the advange, for now, because she has all her teeth.