Vivian Grace

The Vivi Report

Vivian is just insanely adorable, which saves her on a daily, if not hourly basis.  I mean this child, is out to break us!  She is even more strong-willed than Naomi and a heck of a lot louder!

She's doing well at school - where, as she says she "sees her friends, she does her work. . . ."  And then she asks us, "So, what did you do today?"

She remains a Daddy's girl.  Heaven forbid if Mommy tries to get her out of her crib in the morning.  Thankfully, she has started to sleep in a bit later recently.  She had been getting up around 5:30 again for the last couple of months.  Grooooaaaan.

Vivian was Cinderella - her choice - for Halloween.  She hung in there in the damp and the cold and caught a bit of a cold herself.

Vivian has a nice bedtime routine going these days - once we can get her to go to bed; THAT ship has sailed, when it was once so easy.  Now, we (mostly Daddy) read a couple of books, then we do rock-a-bye, singing rock-a-bye Vivi, the "I love you Vivian" song (as she calls it), and of course the Ariel song.  It's particularly entertaining when Daddy has to sing that one.

Then, she goes into her crib.  For months, she would demand tissues because she was crying.  Now she alternates between pulling the "I have to go potty!" and "I need some water" (so I will have to go potty shortly!) cards.

She still isn't playing well with Naomi, which makes for very exhausting afternoons for Mommy.

Vivi is potty-trained

For everyone waiting for the update that I should have posted a couple of weeks ago.  Vivian is officially potty-trained!  She's only had one or two accidents in the past month.  She doesn't wear a diaper at nap anymore.  She still wears a diaper at night, mostly because we can't spare even one minute of sleep on the off chance there was an accident.  But once the stack of diapers are gone, that's it.  And then there will be the dance of a joy for a diaper-less household. :-)

Vivi is pee-pee trained!

**Warning: this post has the words "poop", "poopy" and other poop-related words QUITE frequently!**

And that is an entirely different thing than potty-trained, because potty-trained would involve pooping on the potty - something Vivian refuses to do.  She is still in a diaper for naptime, to which she regularly objects (and I think it's because she knows if she were in underwear and had an accident, it would shorten her nap time; the kid's no dummy) and at night, which she uses as her opportunity to poop most days.

Wondering how long this could go on, and thinking it could be quite awhile.

Here is a typical Vivian conversation on the matter:

Me:  Vivian, do you want to go poop on the potty?

V: No, I no want to go poop on the potty.  I happy!  My pee pee not hurting!

Me: If you go poopy on the potty, you'll get a treat!

V:  I not want to go poop on the potty.  I go pee pee on the potty!  Where's my treat?

Me: You can't have a treat until you go poopy on the potty.

V:  I want a treat! (Crying)  I need a tissue!  I need a tissue!

A new school year

Vivian started her new school year this week as well.  She is going Monday-Friday from 8:45-11:45.  She is still in Ms. Suheir's toddler class, which she will be in until she is potty-trained.  Vivian has very little interest in potty "training"; she will use the potty when she feels like it.

Ms. Suheir says that Vivian is doing wonderfully.  She is one of the "seniors" in the class, working with the binomial cube, the cylinders, and, oh yes, doing work with nouns!

Daddy is still walking Vivian into school; she's not ready for the carpool drop-off.  Although on Tuesday, he did just walk her to the front door and she went the rest of the way by herself, which is kind of unbelievable!  Carrying her little lunch box and everything.  The child is too cute!

Vivi's successful month of June

Vivian had a very successful month at Crabapple Montessori. She went Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 3pm.  I know, I know.  A long day and a long week for such a little girl.  But she did great and had fun and got to play with kids her own age, rather than being dragged around to all of Naomi's things and having her naps interrupted by Naomi's schedule.

I saw other friends dragging their younger children around and it wasn't fun for anyone.  So, even though I'm sure some peole question my decision (perhaps even out of a bit of jealousy), I know I made the right choice.  Because just today, I had to wake Vivian up from a very deep sleep to go get Naomi from summer camp, and that is just no fun!

Why?

Is Vivian's favorite word/question.  I know my friend Linda will love that. :^)  Naomi wasn't really a why child, so I was thrown for a loop when it started rapid-firing out of Vivian a couple of weeks ago.  "Why?  Why, Momma?  Why?"  So, I just keep making up answers until I can silence her, or get an "Oh, o-tay!"  And yes, it is "O-tay", not O.k. :^) which is just ridiculously cute.  This child - and, ahem, it isn't at all surprising - is just so frickin' cute, it's INSANE!  And the curls!  I have got to get the laptop with the photos and the photo software to work because her curls are TO DIE FOR!!  How can a human child have such perfect curls?  It is a genetic wonder, I tell you! A Wonder!!!

May is freckle month!

It's official.  Vivian has started to get freckles.  Sigh . . . They are small and faint, but I see them.  I remember when Naomi started getting freckles.  Daddy couldn't believe how taken aback I was.  Oh well.

Vivian is doing an extra month of school in June at Crabapple Montessori, which will be nicer for her than being dragged around to Naomi's things all day.

She is a super funny, very enthusiastic little girl, who tries to sing and dance just like Naomi.  She loves to go outside (which she gets from Daddy), and she likes to dress up in her swim suit and her mermaid costume.  She seems more interested in swimming and the pool, so maybe I will try her in swim lessons again soon.

Right now, she is on a Grinch kick, and she wants to watch The Grinch who Stole Christmas - every.day.

Vivian's two-year well visit

Vivian went to the doctor last week.  She did pretty well.  She did the vision test, but she wouldn't do the hearing test.  She kept saying "No more ears.  All done ears!"  She cried a lot after the finger prick, which revealed that her iron is a little low - so she will take a multi-vitamin with iron for that and be rechecked in July.

She is 33.25 inches tall, which puts her in the 40th percentile.  And she weighs 24lbs 8oz, which puts her in the 21st percentile and means that her 18-month bottoms still fit or are too big, depending on the brand.

Her head only grew .25 inches, but it is still in the 97th percentile.

Overall, she is good! :^)

Vivian's 2nd birthday

We were up in MA for Vivian's 2nd birthday.  We went to our cousins' house in Hudson for some fun and cake. :^)

Vivi helped herself to her cake. And later she got to open some presents. Although her sister wanted to open all of them, of course.

Vivian's Spring Break

Vivian did well on the flight to Boston.  She did a good job sleeping in her Pak 'n Play.  But, she was a spitfire pretty much the whole trip (Yes, that is being kind).  She picked up a new favorite song - Wheels on the Bus.  Whenever she was upset in the car, we sang the song and it made her happier.  She even joined in at key parts, which made us all smile and laugh.  She did better when I didn't have the video camera on her, but . . .

She had fun with Ethan at the Mystic Aquarium, although she was a little territorial.

Perhaps the funniest part of the trip was Vivian with her rolling suitcase. :^)