Looking Up: August 2017

7.3.17

Happy GOLDEN Birthday to the girl who made us parents! Vivian Paige, God knew what he was doing when He gave you to us. You have been our greatest challenge and that has done nothing but make me a more patient and understanding mom, wife, friend and woman of Christ (I've needed him a LOT!). Thank you for pushing me to my limit (every.day!) so that your purpose on this earth could be fully understood... and it's only the beginning! Ohhh the places you will go!! You are strong, fearless, independent, passionate, kind, funny, relentless, fashionable, spunky and confident. We love you beautiful girl!! The world is yours!

Viv lately

-24.5lbs 36in (still TINY!)

-2T-3T clothes
-Potty trained.... except she has regressed with pooping in the potty. The details of this are for a completely separate post. It is a control thing, plus a little PTSD from past constipation. It is exhausting/frustrating/defeating, but we have given the control to her and she will do it when she's ready. The will is STRONG with this one. Pray for us!

-Sleep: 10-12 hour nights, 1 2-3h nap. She insists on having her door open and hall light on at bedtime. We let her read/play in her bed until she falls asleep. This typically isn't an issue, but she has had a few nights of shenanigans here and there... always entertaining.

-She has all of her teeth and stillll sucks her thumb... work in progress
-She is continuing at the Montessori school 5 days/week 8:30-4 and she loves it! She moved up to the 'Primary' classroom in August. This was a transition for her to go from 'big fish' back to 'little fish' so she regressed in several areas (pottying, confidence, independence), but a friendly home visit from her teachers made a huge difference along with getting used to her new routine.

Her "quirks"/demands have kept us on our toes... here are just a few...
-"I do it ALL.BY.MYSELF!"
-She's very good about random positive self talk: 'It's not going to hurt', 'you can do it', 'it's not scary', which is extra funny because this is usually AFTER she tells us she can't do something (very out of the ordinary for her, but I think part of the transition/regression to her bigger class).
- "Okaaaaay" "The yother one" "I made this fir yew"
-She commonly narrates past events: "Mommy said no, so I cried and said but mommy mommy! Mommy said go to my room, but I didn't want to so I cried. I'm sorry mommy. I was frustrated."
-She likes to wear up to 5 pairs of panties at one time... you know, just in case...
-She has to "cheers" everything. If 2 people have a drink, toy, sandwich, you name it, we cheers! SO my kid!
-Her favorite color right now is "all the colors", including black. She insists on putting at least 8 different colored hair ties in her hair at once. Every.day. Then the bows... then the headbands...

Milestones

-Words: Her vocabulary and conversation has continued to explode!! She uses words even I don't use. The conversations we have are incredible. And the conversations she has with herself/toys are hilarious...
-She NEVER.stops! talking, moving, playing, imagining. Her little imagination is so hilarious. Everyday she has us laughing and watching her in awe.
-She is learning SO much!

-She moved up to her BIG GIRL bed in May! It was quite the transition. She was an escape artist for a while there and even slept on the floor a few times, but a lock and the fear of God has kept her safely in her room
-She had her fourth haircut/trim by mommy- not my best work since I thought by now I must be a master stylist and tried to layer/feather the front... oops!

Likes

Princesses- especially Belle
Getting her nails painted
Playing with friends
Books
Playing pretend- princess, teacher, mommy, shopping, cooking, dressing up
Looking at pictures and videos of herself (vain much? haha)
Coloring/painting
Play-doh

Cooking with mom
Jumping on the trampoline
Singing- "Buenos Dias" "ABCs" "Twinkle Twinkle" "You Are My Sunshine" "Pledge of Allegiance" "Happy Birthday" "My Country tis of Thee"
Dancing
Being outside
Swimming

Haboo (our word for rubbing her back)

Animals- especially 'gringos'= flamingos
Monsters
Movies/TV.... Faves are Beauty and the Beast (obsessed!), Star Wars (as she calls it- 'Star Fish' thanks to Adam.. he taught her that because she pronounces Wars like 'whores'), Dora, Paw Patrol, Monsters, Trolls
Food: cheese, crackers, peanut butter, pears, watermelon, grapes, chicken nuggets, french fries, pizza, DIP, chicken taquitos, bananas, apples, oranges, oatmeal, cereal, cereal "bars", ice cream
She LOVES to dip her food... in ketchup, ranch, chips/dip, you name it.... the things she dips in ketchup turns my stomach

Dislikes

Not getting her way
Pooping in the potty

Pictures:

THIRD Birthday