She could join the circus...

Thanks for the circus pictures, Mitch! Thanks for planting the circus seed, Danni! Who knows? It may end up being a legitimate talent?

My Lil Pollock

The other day Viv and I painted -- well more like Vivi rolled herself around in the paint, and ATE the paint, while I chased after her trying to keep the cleanup to a minimum. We've painted before but this time I really let her get down in it...YES it was hard for me. I had to stifle my inner neat freak big time! It was amazing how much she loved getting dirty and how she actually took her little hands and tried to make her own shapes. At one point she took her little paint soaked hands, clapped them really hard, and then ran her fingers through the paint splatter to make a little design from it that kind of looked like a heart. A heart! She's a genius, no really, she is.

My beautiful girl

Here is my beautiful baby, getting so big. Five weeks until her 1st birthday. Lots and lots of decisions going on around the Weathers household. I will be forthcoming in no time, but for now I'd like to just marvel at my little almost 1 year old. We've been super busy making plans, and we've also been gone -- we took our first overnight without Vivienne this past Saturday. It was lovely, and beyond relaxing, and what do you know? Mitch and I STILL have a million things to talk about when baby isn't around! I'll post soon with all the details. Hope everyone had as lovely a weekend as I did.

To sleep, or not to sleep?

This is what Viv was doing yesterday INSTEAD of napping. Making music on the side of her crib, and playing with strings. I've been in a video kind of mood lately, can you tell? Thanks for the footage Mitch!

Practice makes perfect

Outtakes (10 month portrait)

Month: 10

I asked Mitch to take a 10 month portrait for me yesterday, and this is what he came up with. Naked, and trust me when I say this is the only photo in which she is sitting nicely. But that look in her eye, up to no good, that one! Thanks, Babe.

Dearest Vivienne James,

Here we are in the middle of your 10th month, and I am just getting around to writing you a note. Better late than never is my motto these days. It takes me at least 3 times longer than it took before you came into the world, to do just about ANYTHING. This month is really a good month for you, Tootie. You're teething, but nothing major. You are through the horrors of sleep training, and you sleep like a champ, putting yourself down around 7 and usually not waking until 6am -- even when you are teething (truly the best thing we ever did for you). Even when we travel now, which has been a lot lately, you sleep much better. You've been able to spend lots of time with family and even went swimming in the hot hot Sacramento sun. You LOVE blueberries, so much so that your butt is actually STAINED blue. It really is. It's all you'll eat.

I should mention that you are hilarious these days. Sometimes, you are down right scary. Like today when we went to the library for Storytime, and I had to leave early because the teacher kept having to stop the story and STARE at me like "Get control of your baby lady!" I mean, what's wrong with screaming at the top of your lungs the word "DADADADADADADADAAA!"? And every time she would speak up a little, you would get louder as if competing with her. You only made 2 babies cry by crawling up to them and mauling their backs and stealing their books (all in the spirit of love, of course). I am really not exaggerating when I say that you think the world is your playground. I love this about you. Even if I have to spend my entire time at playgroups crawling around behind you, taking you off of the laps of strangers that you have crawled up to. As if to let them know they can hold you now, and PLEASE read me this story!

You are really starting to walk now with our hands or with your push cart. I fight back tears every time I think of you turning one. It is so close. I typically end an evening by coming out of your room after I've laid you down and proclaim to your Daddy, "It's like a countdown to the end of infancy!" as I wipe away tears. I'm not even going to tell you what he says back to me but there is MAJOR eye rolling involved.

Viv, you fit into our family so perfectly that it's hard to even remember a life before you. And your Daddy and I did a lot of living together before you came along! Every time you smile or chuckle I get this heavy, elated feeling at the pit of my stomach. People tell me this is what love feels like. But it feels deeper than that.

Happy 10 months, Pookie. You are so special, and so loved.

xxx
Mommy

The Snort, part deux

The infamous snort

Vivienne has been snorting at us constantly for about 2 weeks now. It's the funniest thing I have ever seen (of course), and she does it at the most random times. Is she a bull? Does she have something in her nose? Is she frustrated at you? Is she trying to be funny? Who the hell knows! I've come to the conclusion that she just likes to snort. The cutest thing about this video though, is the kiss she SMACKS out of her lips at the very end of the snort. You almost miss it if you aren't careful. She's been kissing lately, and she never kisses your face at the appropriate time. Instead, she kisses you with a little smacking of her lips AFTER she crawls away from you, or anytime you say the word "kiss". Seriously? She's trying to kill me with cuteness.

Bellybutton = found

Viv has a "Where is Baby's Bellybutton?" book. She has finally discovered where it is. Her body is VERY interesting to her lately. Adorable.

p.s. thanks, Mitch, for the videos!

Rare form

After a long weekend, someone woke up this morning on the cranky side. Hilarious! Or, Scary!

Animals

I bought this little Corduroy bear for Vivi when I was 8 months pregnant, hoping it would be her buddy. Indeed it is! There is something so sweet about this pink little Jelly Cat (brand). She loves to cuddle with her animals and give them a kiss. Kissing is her thing right now, and if you want a big sloppy wet one, just ask for it!

Oh boy

Today was a little bit difficult on some personal levels for me, but Vivienne also decided that she was going to stand up and try to get into EVERYTHING imaginable. I am not kidding when I say that I have not baby proofed enough. Some little foam wedges are not going to cut it. I am pretty good about having all the toxic stuff up high and to be honest we don't really have that many toxic cleaners anymore, thank you Seventh Generation, Meyers, and Method. Oh how I love Method. If Method was a person instead of a brand I'd marry it! Ok, I'll admit that the one cleaner I just can't live without still is Softscrub. I just NEED it! Viv was a little monkey today, and when Uncle Jeff stopped by (THANK GOD), whom Vivi adores, all she wanted to do was drink his beer. So she spent the day "exploring" and I spent the day on "high alert" ready for a major disaster. Thankfully we got through the day with only minor head injuries. Poor Rody though (Vivienne's donkey, I think that's what he is, that's what I call him anyway), he really took a beating!

Also, forgive the photo app that makes the shot look completely washed out, I'm experimenting.

Enjoy!

Silver Lake, part 2

Resting after the long hike...

Trailer bath!

Silver Lake, part 1

Camping was really, really fun. We took Vivienne to my favorite spot on Earth -- the potholes. Not the official name I'm sure. Mitch and I used to go up there all the time in the dead heat of summer just for the day, and lounge on the giant granite rocks, then jump into the crystal clear potholes for a cool down. We'd usually end up at our favorite burrito joint for the car ride home. Those were the days. While it was definitely a different experience this time, it was surreal and amazing bringing my baby to this special spot. She loved it. I knew she would. Rushing water, loads of granite. A thing of beauty. We went on the most beautiful hikes, dodged the mosquitoes, and she loved her new pack so much that she would sleep in it while Mitch was trekking along. I can't wait to go back next year!

Hairdos!

I love giving them the same "do". Then of course, "How big is Vivienne"? She does this now even when you don't ask. It's ALL about getting a response from me. Have I mentioned on this blog that SHE KILLS ME?