New Best Friend

Vivian has a new best friend. Julia (with her Mom and Dad, Jeff and Kristen) visited us last weekend. The two of them became instant friends. Julia sang to Vivian, played with her, helped get her ready for bed and distracted her while I changed her diaper. Vivian on the other hand was simply enamored. She kept hugging Julia and shared her toys with her. Between the two of them, they've got the cuteness factor going into overdrive. It was a great weekend!

15 Months

Vivian had her 15 month check-up the other day. She was 31.75 inches and 24lb 3oz. This would put her at about the 95th percentile for height and the 75th percentile for weight. From off the chart/50th percentile. Even the pediatrician said they sometimes don't measure quite right. So, I think Vivian is taller. But now that I have measured the last mark on the door frame, I'm not sure. Either way. She's healthy. That's the important part. The pediatrician admired her fine motor skills, noted her "oh-oooh" and said she was totally endeared by Vivian. So all is good.

Other random things:

• Vivian's big thing these days is independence and helping Mommy. Oh, and Daddy is the flavor of the month!
• Will and I have a tendency to leave the lid of the trash can open. Every time Vivian walks past it she slams it shut. She probably thinks: "Will they ever learn?"
• Coloring with crayons is great fun. She even keeps it (mostly) on the paper provided. Just don't you DARE take a crayon away before she's done. Putting them into the box is at least as much fun as coloring
• Carrying things back and forth provides hours of entertainment
• I take advantage of that when I notice that Vivian has picked up something she shouldn't have. I ask her to put it somewhere and she'll happily oblige. I dread the day she outgrows that
• Temper tantrums are definitely in our future. So far, it's still easily possible to distract Vivian before she really starts
• Vivian still hasn't met a food she doesn't like. Except maybe the bread in sandwiches. The cheese/cream cheese/cucumber topping is so much better than the bread itself!
• Vivian insists in walking everywhere herself whenever possible
  
• The three words she says consistently are "oh-oooh", "shoe", "fish". She can also sign "food", "more", "water" and "milk"
  
• Her cuteness factor continues to be through the roof
• The days of Vivian walking with her arms above her head are long gone. She walks easily these days. Today, she even broke into a run of sorts when she saw Daddy
• She keeps waving at people. She is undeterred by the fact that most are too busy to notice her
• Vivian's "chores" include feeding the cats and carrying her lunch box to daycare
• A kid at daycare told Ms Sharon "I like Bibian". We do, too. And we adore her new name
• Vivian is starting to be able to match up shapes and colors in a shape sorter or puzzle
• She definitely understands both English and German ... she does what we tell her in either language
• There's nothing better than getting her to giggle uncontrollably
• Vivian loves love loves the rice table at the Seesaw Center
• Her sleep schedule is pretty predictable. Go to bed at 7pm. Wake up at 7.30am. Nap from 12.30pm to 3.00 or 3.30pm. I love it
• Vivian is pretty much self-feeding. Although it is messy. And I cannot wait for the day where she no longer crams so much food in her mouth that I expect her to choke any minute
• Vivian's got an incredibly good temper and we continue to be able to take her to restaurants with the expectation (which is almost always fulfilled) that we will be enjoying our meal without getting it to go in the middle of it
• Vivian has 12 teeth
  
• I will post more pictures very soon, I promise
  

Toddler Labor

We figured it was time Vivian started earning her keep. You can never start them too young, right? So, in addition to her already existing responsibilities of being super-cute, she now helps switch lights in rooms on and off and feeds the cats.

The feeding of the cats is definitely my favorite. I say "Let's go and feed the kittens" and she toddles over to where the food dishes are and impatiently waits until I have scooped food out of the big container. Then she grasps the plastic cup with the food in both hands, and tips it over (with me trying desperately to guide her hands so that the food ends up in the dish and not on the floor). Next, she opens the door to the bathroom, and I pick her up so she can turn on the light. She then turns on the water, I fill the water dish, she turns off the water (with lots of help), turns off the light, and we put the water down. Then, Vivian often starts picking stray cat food off the floor and tossing it in the food dish. As long as it doesn't end up in her mouth, I'm ok with that, too :)

Better Late Than Never ...

... Christmas photos are finally done. They can be found by clicking here.

Navel Gazing

Vivian's made a new discovery that is sooo fascinating. It's ... the belly button! Endless fun is being had at diaper changing time by touching her belly button, then pushing up my sweater to check out mine, then touching her belly button again, checking mine ... easy entertainment, all I have to do is stand there and listen to the stories she's telling about the belly buttons ;)

Fashionista

Reduce, Reuse, Recylce

The Christmas decorations are down. We've settled back into our own rhythm after the whirlwind tour of visits in VA. I was about to recycle the Christmas cards people so generously send us even though we don't ever seem to get around to sending some ourselves. But then I thought, hang on, let's see if Vivian would get some enjoyment out of them. Did she ever ... and I was able to make breakfast/lunch/dinner for her uninterrupted several times now. Let's hope the fascination with throwing the cards on the floor lasts a while. A special thank you to those of you who sent the bug-eyed cat and Santa joke. We got a great chuckle out of them.

And, yes, I am working on the Christmas photos. Coming soon, I promise. I've finished about half of them.