Happy 2nd Birthday Vivi!

Today we celebrated Vivi's second birthday with a trip with Sarah and Lizzie to Fort Worth.  We had a nice lunch at The Zodiac Cafe, where the girls threw tantrums over the iPad acted like ladies.  Followed by a little shopping at Neimans where mommy scored some to die for sparkly leopard print toms.  Love! Then we dashed over to Central Market to pick up some goodies for her party and spend some time playing at the playground and eating gelato.  It was the perfect little afternoon, full of things that Vivi loves.  She was the perfect little birthday girl.  We had such a fun time!

When we got home tonight of course I had nothing planned for dinner and didn't want to make a huge mess because of the party tomorrow.  So I let Vivi choose what she wanted.  Faffles for dinner.  I always love breakfast for dinner and it was even sweeter since thats what little miss wanted.  She sure does love her breakfast!  

Since we made the move to WF Vivi has grown up from a baby into a little girl.  She makes me laugh every day with the things that she says and the funny things that she does.  It's hilarious living with a toddler.  She has the sweetest personality, very loving and caring but also a little bit wild and crazy.  I wouldn't have her any other way!  Here's what she is doing at TWO!

• Knows her colors.
• Working on her shapes.  Loves to do her shape puzzle.
• Can tell you how old she is and count to 3.
• Knows tons of animal names and the sounds that they make.
• She is a huge talker, you can practically carry on a conversation with her and she is constantly picking up new words.  Like today at the park she wanted to take off her shoes and I told her she would get pokeys in her feet.  She took off her shoes and got pokeys in her feet and was talking about the pokeys the rest of the morning.  
• Loves Cade.  Sometimes she calls him her baby sister.  We're working on that one.
• Likes to play with her dolls like they are her babies.  She takes them for walks and feeds them, what a good little momma!
• Loves reading books.  She really really likes pop up books, but they tend to get destroyed.  Lately we have been reading about frogs.
• Any time she sees sports on TV she says "Go Rangers!"  So sweet.
• She got a Horned Frog pillow pet for her birthday, who eats Bee Flies (future post).  He must sleep with her at night and now if you show her the TCU logo with the Horned Frog she can recognize it.
• She likes to tell me what color she wants to wear that day, or pick out what to wear.  The usual favorite dress is her Bee Fly dress and she always wants to wear her Dor Dor jammies.
• When she is acting a little hyper and you ask her if she is crazy or wild, she says "No Way!"
• Practicing feelings faces are one of her favorite activities.  Her favorites are the sad face, frustrated face, and surprised face.  When she does the sad face she sticks out her bottom lip and puts her hand over her face and pretends to cry.  It is hilarious.
• Her favorite foods are yogurt, oatmeal, meatballs, chicken nuggets, bananas, apple juice, chocolate milk, steak, sweet potatoes, pasta, and PB&J.
• She can use scissors with some help and always feels so proud when she cuts the paper.
• Loves to do art projects, especially painting.  We love to paint on canvases or this summer a favorite activity was painting with ice cubes.
• She is a great helper in the yard.  She loves to help water the plants but has a tendency to pick all of the flowers.  We love to spend time outside in the backyard playing with her stroller, doing sidewalk chalk, or throwing the ball for Drake.
• She is turning into a little swimmer, yay!  By the end of the summer she was feeling confident in the pool with her lifejacket on.  She can swim between two people and keep herself upright in the water.  Next summer we are doing swim lessons!
• One of her favorite animals is horses.  She took her first horseback ride in Crested Butte and since then has been so fascinated with them.  Smiths Gardentown has a few miniature horses that she likes to visit and feed carrots.
• Whenever I tell her we are going to go somewhere she always says "Cade too?" just to make sure I am not going to leave him behind.
• One of her new games is to play "going shopping"  She takes her doll stroller and one of her dresses on a hanger and walks around the house.  I wonder where she learned about that?
• It is so easy to take her with me to the grocery store.  Market Street has the little cars on the front of some of the carts that she loves to drive.  
• She loves going to school and carpooling with Lizzie.  She is starting to learn more about the alphabet this year.
• The iPad has become one of her favorite learning tools.  Some of her favorite apps are Starfall ABCs, anything by Duck Duck Moose, Dora's Ballet Adventure, Tozzle, and Toddler Teesers.
• She will watch a show for short periods of time.  Her favorites are Dor Dor and princess movies.  I am in the process of building our Disney collection as I have such fond memories of watching those movies growing up.
• We are working on potty training.  She is getting more and more ready every day.  She can tell me when she needs to go and recognize the urge but has a tendency to forget.  Since we are actively working on potty training she has moved on to training pants and likes to choose between Dor Dor and Princesses.
• Bumps and bruises are a big deal around here that require lots of hugs and kisses, and usually a band aid.

It is so fun to sit down and really think about all of the unique things that she does and what a distinct little personality she has.  I am looking forward to what this year has in store for us!

Walking

About a month after Vivi's first birthday, she started relying on walking more and more. She would continue to cruise around the furniture and walk back and forth between Trey and I. Then, suddenly today she gave up crawling. All of a sudden she had the confidence to walk, and now there is no going back! It is a bittersweet milestone. I can't believe that she is growing up so fast. But it is so wonderful to see what a sweet and caring little girl she is turning into.

One Year!!

We had a wonderful and relaxing family weekend. On Saturday we spent a lazy day hanging around the house and watching college football. It was great watching TCU beat up on Baylor! Trey's family was in town for a wedding, so on Sunday we all went to Mass together and ordered in Charleston's during the Cowboys game. Too bad the boys couldn't pull it together.

Now that Vivi is officially 1 year old and almost a toddler, I think this will be my last monthly update. She has grown into such a sweet little girl, and we are so proud of her! Here's what she's doing at 1 year:

• Has 6 teeth! Getting those 4 upper teeth have given her the cutest little grin, and she knows how to chew with her front teeth.
• Still likes to watch Wonder Pets! and LOVES the theme song. She smiles every time she hears it. She has recently really started to enjoy Sesame Street. Her favorite thing is the Preschool Musical song, check out her dance moves on Facebook!
• Goes to bed at 8ish and has sleeping in until 830 or 9.
• Puts herself to sleep every night and at nap time, but naps are a little erratic these days. I think we are on our way to transitioning to one nap a day!
• Is starting to become more opinionated about what she likes to eat. I think I need to invest in a toddler cookbook!
• Loves her blankie. A lot.
• Still loves music. Sometimes we will catch her "shaking her booty" and dancing to music on TV.
• Loves her brother Drake! She has learned how to throw the ball for him, although he wishes she could throw farther.
• Loves going for walks in her stroller or just generally being outside. Now that the weather is cooling down to the 90s we are able to spend more time outside, which she loves!
• Your blackberry/iphone/ipad is her favorite toy.
• LOVES other babies. And loves to look at herself in the mirror and will give the baby in the mirror kisses.
• Still loves reading books. I caught her reading to herself the other day, it was so cute!
• Loves to exercise her vocal chords. She says "Dada, Da (dog), Mama, and bath"
• Is still learning baby sign language.
• Is crawling EVERYWHERE!
• Can pull up like a pro, and cruises around the furniture. She can take a couple of steps towards me unassisted, but isn't too sure about the whole walking thing. She gets around so efficiently on her hands a knees! One of her new favorite things to do is push her stroller around the house. That will get those legs moving!
• Graduated to size 4 diaper.
• Is wearing 6-9, 9-12, and 18 month clothes. Who knows what size she really is?!
• Is wearing a size 3 shoe, she has tiny feet!
• Loves when Daddy sings one of his many made up songs.
• Can wave hi, bye-bye and clap her hands appropriately!
• Some nicknames include: Princess Peanut, Peanutsky, Princessca, Vivs, Miss V, Goozle, Ma-goozle

11 Months!

Vivi turned 11 months old while we were vacationing in Angel Fire, New Mexico! Can you believe that next month we will be celebrating her first birthday! This year has gone by so quickly and it has been the best and most rewarding year of our lives. She is getting so big and so smart! It is just amazing to see those little wheels working. Here is what she is doing at 11 months:

• Weighs about 21 pounds.
• Has 6 teeth! Getting those 4 upper teeth have given her the cutest little grin, and she knows how to chew with her front teeth. and 4 are almost fully in on the top.
• Still likes to watch Wonder Pets! and LOVES the theme song. She smiles every time she hears it. She also loves Moose on NickJr and is also really into Blues Clues.
• Still goes to bed at 8:30 but has started waking up at 8. This morning she even slept until 9! Can you believe it!
• Puts herself to sleep every night and at nap time, although sometimes there are tears involved.
• Takes one morning and one afternoon nap like clockwork.
• LOVES food! She is pretty much eating everything we eat. Some of her favorites are watermelon, grilled cheese, and blueberries. She also dances in her highchair when she is eating something yummy, its so cute!
• Loves her blankie.
• Has great taste in music. Sometimes we will catch her "shaking her booty" and dancing to music on TV.
• Loves her brother Drake! She is working on throwing the ball for him.
• Loves going for walks in her stroller. She is so interested in the world around her.
• Your blackberry/iphone/ipad is her favorite toy.
• LOVES other babies. And loves to look at herself in the mirror. She has recently started kissing herself in the mirror.
• Loves reading books. We have a book worm on our hands! We just got the cutest book in Taos, In My Pond which is so cute! She loves the goldfish.
• Loves to exercise her vocal chords. She says "Dada, Da (dog), Mama." Mama is a new addition to her vocabulary
• Is still learning baby sign language. She just learned "more" and is using it often.
• Sits up like a big girl!
• Is crawling EVERYWHERE! Using a barricade is useless, we just chase her everywhere!
• Can pull up like a pro, with one hand sometimes and can walk around the furniture. She can walk when holding on to your hands and can stand up on her own. I swear walking/running is just around the corner!
• Loves to be outside, especially when she is in her Johnny jump up.
• Is still in size 3 diaper.
• Is wearing 6-9 shirts and dresses, and 12 month clothes.
• Loves when Daddy sings one of his many made up songs.
• Can wave bye-bye and clap her hands!
• Some nicknames include: Princess Peanut, Peanutsky, Princessca, Vivs, Miss V

Ten Months

Today Vivi turned 10 months old! Only 2 more months until she turns a year old, I cannot believe it! This age has been really fun for us. She is all over the place but learning so much and is so interactive. We love her so much!!! Here is what she is doing at 10 months:

• Weighs 19 pounds and 2 ounces (40%) and is 29 inches long (+95%).
• Has 2 teeth, and 4 are almost fully in on the top. Soon she will have a very toothy grin!
• Still likes to watch Wonder Pets! and LOVES the theme song. She smiles every time she hears it. She also loves Moose on NickJr.
• Goes to bed at 8:30 and wakes up at 7:30ish. This lets me get her up and dress her in the morning for a little mommy/Vivi time before I head to work.
• Puts herself to sleep every night and is getting better at nap time.
• Is back on track with the naps, she takes one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
• LOVES food! We have graduated to squishy table food. She is pretty much eating everything we eat. Some of her favorites are watermelon, grilled cheese, and risotto. She also dances in her highchair when she is eating something yummy, its so cute!
• Loves her blankie.
• Has great taste in music. She has started bouncing around when she likes the beat.
• Loves her brothers! Thinks it is so funny when they play in the pool.
• Loves going for walks in her stroller. She is so interested in the world around her.
• Your blackberry/iphone is her favorite toy.
• LOVES other babies. And loves to look at herself in the mirror.
• Loves reading books. We have a book worm on our hands!
• Loves to exercise her vocal chords. She says "Dada and Da (dog)" I am hoping Mama is in the near future!
• Is still learning baby sign language.
• Sits up like a big girl!
• Is crawling EVERYWHERE! We have to barricade her into the family room using various props.
• Can pull up like a pro, with one hand sometimes and can walk around the furniture. When she is feeling really brave she can stand on her own.
• Loves to be outside, especially when she is in her Johnny jump up.
• Is still in size 3 diaper.
• Is wearing 3-6 shirts and dresses, and 6-9 and 12 month clothes.
• Loves when Daddy sings one of his many made up songs.
• Can wave bye-bye!
• Some nicknames include: Princess Peanut, Peanutsky, Princessca, Vivs, Miss V

Nine Months

This update is a little behind, as all of the posts have been as of late. Here is what Vivi is doing at 9 months old.

• Weighs 18 pounds and 12 ounces (40%) and is 29 inches long (+95%).
• Has 2 teeth, and getting 3 up top, at the same time! Ouch!
• Still likes to watch Wonder Pets! and LOVES the theme song. She smiles every time she hears it. She also loves Moose on NickJr.
• Goes to bed at 8:30 and wakes up at 7:30ish. She has started waking up earlier so it is fun to see her before I leave for work in the morning.
• Puts herself to sleep every night and is getting better at nap time.
• Is back on track with the naps, she takes one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
• LOVES food! We have graduated to squishy table food. She has recently tried (and loved) watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, lamb, and smoked salmon.
• Loves her blankie.
• Has great taste in music. She has started bouncing around when she likes the beat.
• Loves her brothers! Thinks it is so funny when they play in the pool.
• Loves going for walks in her stroller. She is so interested in the world around her.
• Your blackberry/iphone is her favorite toy.
• LOVES other babies. And loves to look at herself in the mirror.
• Loves reading books. We have a book worm on our hands!
• Loves to exercise her vocal chords. She is making all sorts of sounds, its only a matter of time before the words start flowing!
• Is learning baby sign language. She knows the sign for hungry!!
• Sits up like a big girl!
• Is crawling EVERYWHERE! We have to barricade her into the family room using various props.
• Can pull up like a pro, with one hand sometimes. When she is feeling really brave she can stand on her own and can walk around the furniture.
• Loves to be outside, especially when she is in her Johnny jump up.
• Is still in size 3 diaper.
• Is wearing 3-6 shirts and dresses, and 6-9 and 12 month clothes.
• Loves when Daddy sings one of his many made up songs.

Eight Months

Today, Vivi turned eight months old. I know I say this every month that goes by, but I cannot believe how quickly time passes. I feel like it goes even faster once you have kids. Vivi continues to achieve new milestones and discover new things about the world around her. Here is what Vivi is doing at seven months.

• Weighs approximately 17.5 pounds.
• Has 2 teeth, and the top ones are starting to come in.
• Still likes to watch Wonder Pets! and LOVES the theme song. She smiles every time she hears it.
• Goes to bed at 9ish and wakes up at 7:30ish. She has started waking up earlier so it is fun to see her before I leave for work in the morning.
• Puts herself to sleep every night and is getting better at nap time.
• The nap schedule has suddenly gone out the window but we are working hard to get it back on track!
• LOVES food! Right now she is eating oatmeal and rice cereals, peas, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, bananas, apples, avocados, pears, peaches, mango, papaya, blueberries, cherries, apricots and yogurt.
• Loves her blankie.
• Has great taste in music. She will kick her little feet to the beat. Don't know where she gets that from.
• Loves her brothers! She is very interested in Drake and Winston. Winnie loves her and loves the attention more. Drake is very protective of her, but not so interested in the hair pulling.
• Loves going for walks in her stroller. She is so interested in the world around her.
• Will lunge for your Blackberry if she sees it light up...and then puts it in her mouth.
• LOVES other babies.
• Loves reading books. We are making our way through the book of Haans Christian Andersen stories. We have a book worm on our hands!
• Loves to exercise her vocal chords. She is making all sorts of sounds, its only a matter of time before the words start flowing!
• Is learning baby sign language. We are working on hungry, sleepy, and diaper.
• Sits up like a big girl!
• Is scooting all over the place! She is very mobile and can move very effectively around the room. She gets up on her knees occasionally, it’s only a matter of time before she is crawling everywhere.
• Can stand up when holding onto something and is working on pulling up.
• Loves to be outside, especially when she is in her Johnny jump up.
• Graduated to size 3 diaper.
• Is wearing 3-6 and 6-9 month clothes.
• Loves when Daddy sings one of his many made up songs.

I love this little princess so much!

Seven Months

Yesterday, Vivi turned seven months old. It amazes me how quickly time passes by and things change. Vivi continues to achieve new milestones and discover new things about the world around her. Here is what Vivi is doing at seven months.

• Has 2 teeth!
• Still likes to watch Wonder Pets! and LOVES the theme song. She starts to smile every time she hears it.
• Goes to bed at 9ish and wakes up at 8ish.
• Puts herself to sleep every night and at nap time. She really loves her crib, and her sleep, much like mommy and daddy!
• Takes 3 naps a day: one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and a catnap in the evening.
• LOVES food! Right now she is eating oatmeal and rice cereals, peas, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, bananas, apples, avocados, pears, peaches, mango, papaya, and yogurt.
• Loves her blankie.
• Has great taste in music. She will kick her little feet to the beat. Don't know where she gets that from.
• Loves her brothers! She is very interested in Drake and Winston. Winnie loves her and loves the attention more. Drake is very protective of her, but not so interested in the hair pulling.
• Loves going for walks in her stroller. She is so interested in the world around her.
• Will lunge for your Blackberry if she sees it light up...and then puts it in her mouth.
• LOVES other babies.
• Loves reading books. We are making our way through the book of Haans Christian Andersen stories. We have a book worm on our hands!
• Loves to exercise her vocal chords. She is making all sorts of sounds, its only a matter of time before the words start flowing!
• Is learning baby sign language. We are working on hungry, sleepy, and diaper.
• Can sit up pretty well on her own, but is still pretty wobbly. It helps if she has a toy to distract her.
• Can roll over from her back to her belly and her belly to her back. She can move pretty effectively around the room and gets up on her knees occasionally.
• Can stand up when holding onto something.
• Loves to be outside.
• Still wears 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diaper.
• Loves when Daddy sings one of his many made up songs.

I love this little princess so much!

Vivi's Half Birthday

Can you believe that Vivi is 6 months old!? I know, neither can I! It seems like a few months ago I was pregnant and anticipating her arrival. This has been such a fun time for us. Vivi is learning more about the world around her and meeting new milestones every day.

Trey and I threw her a little family only half birthday party tonight. She wore her sweet dress and a birthday girl tiara and had pears and mangos for dinner. We even sang her “Happy Birthday”! I took her to Target and let her pick out a half birthday present, she chose a baby doll! Every time she sees the baby she starts to smile, and then chews on it! Everything these days is a teething toy!

Here are some things that Vivi is doing at 6 months old. She is such a wonderful, sweet, loving baby! We are soooo lucky!

• Is 27 inches and 15 pounds and 6 ounces
• Has 2 teeth!
• Likes to watch Wonder Pets! and LOVES the theme song. She starts to smile every time she hears it.
• Goes to bed at 9ish and wakes up at 8ish.
• Is getting better at putting herself to sleep. She is starting to love her crib.
• Takes 3 naps a day: one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and a catnap in the evening.
• LOVES food! Right now she is eating oatmeal and rice cereals, peas, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, avocados, pears, and peaches.
• Loves her blankie.
• Has great taste in music. She will kick her little feet to the beat. Don't know where she gets that from.
• Is very interested in Drake and Winston. Winnie loves her and loves the attention more. Drake is very protective of her, but not so interested in the hair pulling.
• Will lunge for your Blackberry if she sees it light up...and then puts it in her mouth.
• LOVES other babies.
• Loves reading books. We have a book worm on our hands!
• Loves to exercise her vocal chords. She is making all sorts of sounds, its only a matter of time before the words start flowing!
• Is learning baby sign language. We are working on hungry, sleepy, and diaper.
• Can sit up on her own, but is still pretty wobbly.
• Can roll over from her back to her belly and her belly to her back. She can move pretty effectively around the room and gets up on her knees occasionally.
• Can stand up when holding onto something.
• Loves to be outside.
• Wears 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diaper.
• Loves when Daddy sings one of his many made up songs.

"Up like a big girl Vivi goes, Up like a big her on her toes"

to the tune of Up on the Rooftop

"I love my baby girl, baby girl, baby girl, baby girl, Vivi I love you so much!"

to the tune of the Chili's theme song

Vivi's Second Month