Peaches & Honey: Almost There

As you can probably tell, the blog is getting a reboot. We are changing some things up, and I will be running this baby solo from now on. When I started the blog, I had no idea what I was doing, and to be honest...well, I still don't know what I'm doing. But I'm learning slowly, and I think things get better with experience. I've gotten the site her own domain name (which took 84,000 hours to figure out), and she also got a facelift! Some revamp additions include a search feature to make it easier to find previous posts, a link to the Etsy shop, and an option to stay updated via subscription. I think overall the vibe is a little more clean and streamlined. I'm really excited about the changes!

Speaking of changes, Vivi has been growing and changing so much lately. I'm running a bit behind on my girl's update, as she is actually about 10 days from her first birthday. But better late than never. Vivi is eleven months, and she is busier than the busiest bee. This month she has gone from walking in her walker to actually walking! Well..sort of.

She started off standing, which progressed to crouching, which progressed to thinking about walking, but she could never get up the nerve to go for it. And then finally, out of nowhere, she took her first steps this week! She isn't too consistent with it, and she doesn't yet walk to get from place to place, but she is definitely getting there! First, she takes a couple of steps..and then she gets SO excited about it that she claps for herself and screeches..and then she falls down from all the clapping..and then she gets back up and does it all over again. It's a vicious cycle.

I'm thrilled and so proud of her, but I'm a little sad to acknowledge that my little baby girl is really growing up.

And I'm also sad that we can no longer affectionately call her "Peg Leg Papp."

Her favorite activity is still eating. Specifically cake.

And Spaghetti.

I'm mostly joking. She also loves broccoli, cucumbers, whole wheat pasta, chicken, bananas, and veggie lasagna.

Vivi's second favorite activity is wreaking havoc in her high chair. She enjoys smearing food all over herself, throwing food on the floor, and screeching at the top of the lungs the second her food supply gets low. She has really found her voice recently and enjoys airing her grievances when she has them (they're usually food related). I've been doing my best to remind her that ladies only scream if the house is on fire or if they're at a football game. But she has a loud big brother, and as they say: monkey see, monkey do.

This hairstyle is brought to you by an organic pomade of bananas, syrup, and fine, cured Italian meats.

While she does still cruise around in her walker some, she does it less to entertain herself and more to chase her brother around. I anticipate her running for real pretty soon.

She doesn't have too many love interests at this point in life, although the pool guy is still her #1 crush. She likes to put on her sassiest clothes and peer out the window at him.

Lover, don't leave!

Most of the toys Vivi enjoys are ones I've mentioned in previous months, such as the Fisher Price Activity Table and the walker, but she has a few new favorite things for this month. She has been loving this felt fruit set that I got her. It's a great size, actually much larger than I anticipated, and the soft, brightly colored pieces fit great in her little hands.

Leap Frog Letter Factory // Glowball Globe // felt fruit // tank top // shorts // wagon // jelly mary janes // activity table

I originally bought the LeapFrog Letter Factory dvd for Bobby, but Vivi enjoys watching it just as much. It's a cute video that teaches all of the letters of the alphabet, and it's also available on Netflix. I figure you're never too young to learn your letters. I don't know what it is about this particular video, but it captivates them both for 37 glorious minutes, which gives me just enough time to ~~scream into a pillow~~ do some laundry. This glow globe is a fun little ball that lights up and plays music indigenous to each continent when pressed. It mesmerizes Vivi over and over again.

Although I enjoy dressing my little gal up in pretty dresses, we usually stick to comfy loungewear around the house. I'm not even embarrassed to admit that some of our favorite pieces are Walmart specials. We have these little wifebeater tank tops in every color, as well as the hooters girl short-shorts. (I'm not sure what that says about me as a mother now that I'm typing this out...). They're cute on her fabulous baby body, they're comfortable for playing outside in the warm weather, and they're inexpensive enough for me to not feel bad if they get food stains all over them.

As I mentioned recently, Vivi loves going for rides in our wagon, and she loves wearing these adorable jelly shoes. Some other favorites include eating her brother's crumbs off the floor, watching bad television, instigating disputes with her brother, ~~reading~~ eating magazines, pulling off her headbands, and eating lots of saturated fats. She has recently become enamored with the bathroom and all bathroom-related paraphernalia, such as (but not limited to) toilets, toilet paper, toilet brushes, and bathroom reading material. Now that I think about it, her favorites list should, in reality, look a little something more like this:

I may poke fun at her silly little self, but truthfully, Viv is the sweetest baby I've ever met, and taking care of her is a walk in the park. Sure, she's at that age where she's curious and into everything, but it's nothing that is unusual. She has the sweetest disposition and temperament that ...

Well, if I had to describe her in one word, it would be pleasant.