My sister has lived in London for 8 years and I had never visited until this past week. That is crazy to think about…. while not an excuse the last 8 years flew bye for me…. I had three babies, then three toddlers and by the time we were ready to make an international trip with our family, we went to Sweden last year for Lauren and Gabo’s wedding. When my sister told me she was pregnant, I knew I would finally be making the trip to meet my little nephew. Two months after booking the flight, the time had finally arrived! I stocked up on food and home supplies for the family, created a schedule, coordinated logistics and while cold temperatures and school closures altered it some; Justin and Larissa handled it just fine. And off I went to London!
The purpose of my trip was to meet Noah and help my sister. It wasn’t too sightsee; however, being a first timer in London, I definitely wanted to see some sights as well. Flying overnight with the time change is the way to go. I basically got a full day in at work and almost a full day in London. I slept for two hours at most on the plane, but I pushed through…. I knew sleep would come later that night.
I met Noah; we cuddled; I smothered him with kisses and called him Harper fairly regularly.
I walked! We walked! Noah slept in his “buggy”. We saw sights! We took selfies.
Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen:).
Big Ben under construction…maybe I will have better luck next time! And by the way, it was cold in London! This particular day, I was wearing 2 undershirts, a heavy sweater, and two jackets…thus, the hefty look! But I was warm!
Westminster Abbey and a double decker bus.
A visit to London wouldn’t be complete without a picture in front of a Red Telephone Box.
The London Eye
My first time on the Tube on the way to Bourough Market.
Notice the Paddington Station route….
The colors, the smells, the samples, the livelihood…was ALL amazing and my imagination and senses were running wild as I was tricking my senses into believing that I was tasting each and every amazing smell.
You just wait little man….one day soon, your senses will be awakened and you too will experience all the goodness. Speaking of goodness, Lauren and Gabriel bought cheeses, salamis, and mushrooms, and Gabriel whipped up an incredible dinner. I knew he cooked; however, I did not realize he had such a passion for food and cooked with such love and deliberateness. Right up my alley!
We had several delicious meals at home!
And we visited a Pub!
We ventured to The Columbia Road Floral Market. Beautiful flowers at reasonable prices equated to insanely packed crowds.
With our purchases.
A quick stop at “J.C. Penny” after the floral market, a.k.a. Ottolenghi, a delicious cafe we visited three times during my entire stay. One of the locations had a blue wall behind us…thus the J.C. Penny backdrop.
Exploring Kensington Gardens on my own on a beautiful sunny morning.
The Sunken Gardens at Kensington Gardens.
My walk through Hyde Park was glorious! The sun’s beams glistened on the lake and with the swans dogs running around freely, it was simply blissful. 
A quick stroll stopping for a view of The Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe.
An awesome view at dusk of the Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world.
Fun at The Tower Bridge!
A stop at Paddington Station on the Tube.
A visit to Trafalger Square on a rainy afternoon. 
And since Noah spent much of his time on our outings sleeping contently in his buggy much like this…
…I decided it was time for him to join in so there was proof that he was with Lauren and I while I played tourist.
And the visit wouldn’t be complete without a quick stop in the National Gallery. I explored some really amazing exhibits while Lauren fed Noah.
Thanks little man for being such a trooper (most the time:)) while your mommy took your auntie on a week-long London expedition!
I wasn’t expecting it to be a vacation, but it was! I was “present” and enjoying every moment of the time spent visiting another country, the time spent with my precious little nephew – feeling his soft skin and smelling his baby smell, spending quality time with my sister for a week straight, and the time getting to witness Lauren and Gabriel’s love for life, each other, good food and wine in their environment. Saying goodbye to the little man was hard. The tears flowed knowing that the little guy would be close to five months by the time I see him next. And the reality of the situation as I said my goodbyes was that this would likely be the norm…. me knowing my nephew, the girls knowing their cousin through FaceTime and week-long visits a few times a year. Noah will be raised on another continent saying calling my sister his “Mummy”. I’ll cherish each and every visit, each and every snuggle, and pray that one day these cousins might may be raised in close proximity to one another and be cousins that love and respect each other with great admiration for one another. And while the future is unpredictable, one thing is for sure…this was a week, I will forever remember and treasure.