I haven't done a Vivi post in a while, because it's a bit insufferable when parents go on and on with the monthly stickers after the first birthday. But toddlers change so much between their first and second birthdays that I'm afraid I may forget it all if I don't write it down. So I've decided to update this year in quarters; every three months sounds fair, yes?
The biggest thing I have to say about this age is this- You've never faced real life struggles until you've had to put pants on a one year old.
Our little Vivs is fifteen months old now, and she is quick to prove that she isn't just a little baby anymore! She has gotten taller and has thinned out considerably in the last few months. I'm sad that the only rolls I have left to nibble on are her juicy thighs. She wears 18-24 months in most clothes, although Summer time weather down here in Florida means that she prances around in her size 5 diapers about 75% of the time. And she's cool with that until she decides to get frisky and remove it. She's become a Diaper Houdini lately. Have you ever cleaned a mushed poop out of a Persian rug? I have. Good times.
Vivien has collected quite a few nicknames that have stuck with her. On any given day, she will respond to: Vivi, Vivs, Vivi-Cat, Wivvers, Little Bit, Bit, Vivzilla, and Vivi the Destructor. Bobby calls her "Sissy," or more frequently, "Hey! No!" She appears to get some kind of twisted pleasure out of destroying his train sets or stealing the remote control and turning Thomas the Tank Engine off. And there's always hell to pay for that. She's become a master at taking a hit and then turning on the crocodile tears for me if she sees that I am nearby. I can tell that this brother/sister duo is going to give me a run for my money. But with that said, they do love each other (I think), and they give each other plenty of sugar.
ruffle swim diaper // Corolle baby doll // makeup mirror // Hello Kitty Shopping Cart // BabyLit Romeo & Juliet // party play set // slice and bake cookies
I try to
get them to steer away from conflict by providing them with plenty of
individual toys and activities. There are many girl toys that Vivi loves
right now. She plays in her toy kitchen every day, although she does
less "cooking" than she does redecorating the play area with plastic
food. The Melissa and Doug wooden sugar cookie set is a hit with both
kids. They bring those out every day, and they are great for imaginative play.
Vivi's cousins gave her the Hello Kitty shopping cart, which is
adorable in itself, but the itty bitty coffee cup that goes with it puts
the whole thing over the top!
Other winners have been the makeup mirror and the VTech dessert party, as well as the Fisher Price Little People Dollhouse. Bobby has the Little People Barnyard, and we like to turn our living room into a town with the train tracks taking the farmers from their house to their farm, by way of an awesome block city that we build. There's a chance we have too much time on our hands.
Vivi has just recently begun to show interest in her baby doll, and she loves it! The other day she strutted up holding her doll and said "baby!" Then she hugged her and gave her a big kiss. It was the sweetest thing I think I've ever seen her do. She's also become interested in books lately, which I'm really excited about. Bobby would not sit down and look at a book until he was about two, so I'm thrilled that she's doing it earlier. I guess there truly are differences between boys and girls. Bobby was always way too busy to sit down and watch a movie or look at a book at this age, but Viv is happy to chill with a pile of books or a little Sesame Street. We especially like the Baby Lit books for her age; they have tons of fun colors and things for babies to learn, but they are indulgent to a lit nerd parent like myself.
Another thing that has been getting lots of use during these warm months are cloth swim diapers. I'm all for disposable regular diapers, and even disposable swim diapers if we are out in public, but the cloth ones are awesome if you have a pool at home (or even if you do a lot of sprinkler running). My kids are pretty regular with their "movements," so I have rarely encountered a pool poop anyway. The cloth swim diapers are washable and reusable, and they really take away the need to wear another swimsuit on top of the diaper! So it kills two birds with one stone. Bobby looks European when he wears his little speedo, and Viv looks like a priss with the ruffles on the back of hers :)
Her favorite foods are cheese, pancakes, peaches, berries, pepperoni, watermelon, pretzels, and milk. She's open to tasting most food at this point, but she enjoys fervently throwing most of it on the floor and then looking at us with large doe eyes.
She talks a lot more than Bobby did at this age (again, I think it's just the difference between boys and girls), and she's quick to pick up anything you tell her. Her favorite things to say are "night night" and "thank you," as well as "baby" and "oh, wow!" If we say "cat," "dog," or "cow," she will respond "meow," "woof," and "moo," respectively. She also says "mad, mad, mad" when she is pissed (if I ask her "Are you mad?"). So maybe she's gonna be one of those people who is in tune with her feelings. :)
Her favorite activities include eating dirt, terrorizing Siri, watching Sesame Street (big-time Elmo crush right now), eating snacks that she has hidden around the house, digging in the trash, reading books, bath time, jumping on the couch, eating popsicles, gnawing on sidewalk chalk, playing in sand, and being Vivi the DestructOR to Bobby's train sets.
She also appears to have taken to gardening.
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| And her duck face is still on point. |
Least favorite activities include diaper changes, sitting still, being outside but not allowed to play in dirt, getting hazed by her brother, when Mommy leaves (which is unfortunately never), and having to watch the same damn episode of Thomas the Tank Engine over and over.
I can tell that she really wants to be a big girl and prove herself to her brother and her friends who are just a little bit older. She loves wearing her necklace and her baby bracelet, and she no longer fights wearing bows in her hair. Speaking of hair, I think she may be a curly girl!
ribbon neckalce // moccs, sold out but similar here
She sleeps like a champ from 7:30-7:30, and she takes one day time nap. She can point to her nose and say "nose." She kisses herself in the mirror. And she can do much more yoga than I can. Aside from the messes that ensue from her brimming curiosity, this age rocks! Looking forward to much more fun in the months to come!
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