The Scene at Eight19: Viviana at 18 months

Our baby is one and a half and going, going and going! Viviana is on the move always, hardly ever taking a moment to just sit and be. We've resumed going to toddler storytimes this fall (after family storytime ended towards the end of summer) and Viviana is the kid who never wants to sit, especially when everyone is supposed to be and when everyone else is following those directions perfectly. Mostly when she is on the move outside of the library, she is chasing Mirabella, wanting to be involved with or in the middle of whatever she is. The little trot she has as she follows her big sister around makes us smile every time.

Surely Mirabella has a hand in how much she talks too. Vivi knows so many words! She has started putting together two and three words together and last night, responded with a, "What? (as in what's wrong) when I said ouch after hitting my thumb, torn up from an incident at the golf course, while changing her diaper. It doesn't seem like much writing it, but I think what it was was that it was so conversational, and unexpected. Jeff walked by as it happened and we both gave each other a look of disbelief that it was coming from her. She also recently started to say, "Bless you," after we sneeze. On the subject of words, it was always a favorite thing of mine with Mirabella, hearing the new ones during the change of seasons. Viviana's new favorite word is pumpkin, which she yells everytime she sees one. It went from sounding like pukkah to punkah to punkahn to punkin. She has figured out the use of plurals and now two banana has become two bananas, paci...two!...has become two pacies.

The garbage can belly on this child never gets full. Vivi never turns away food and as long as there is some in front of her, she is happy. A slightly scary habit she has is to hoard food in her right cheek like a little chipmunk. It might be an hour after mealtime and we'll find her chewing on something that should have been swallowed an hour prior! She's got plenty of teeth now to help her with the food obsession. There are many on top (six) and a few weeks ago, the third bottom one next to the two in the center finally came through. Right after, a bottom molar came through, making the total on the bottom four. Fortunately, we have had no teething issues.

The day Viviana turned 18 months (Wednesday, October 5th) the girls and I packed up and made our way to the beach! The beach, in October! Those words combined don't happen very often around here. The girls were both getting over colds, but it was just too nice not to take full advantage of the gorgeous day. It was a record breaking temp at 88 degrees; 87 was in the lead since 1879, over a century ago!

Thursday, October 6th we had Viviana's 18 month check up. Is it sad I'm a little jealous of Viviana's physical stats? Well, I guess I don't wish I was shy of three feet tall, nor less than the legal drinking age in pounds, but tall and skinny sounds good to me! Viviana weighs 20 pounds 14 ounces (a mere 7th %tile) and is 33.3 inches tall (a whopping 90th %tile). Head circumference is 18.2 (41st %tile).

Vivi was very accommodating to Dr. Judy during the appointment and had no problems being prodded. It went fabulously...until it came time to be poked.

Two babies!

Poor Mirabella had no idea that Dr. Judy would suggest she get her flu shot while there too. Aw, man! Fortunately, she did wonderfully; she wimpered for a couple seconds when the needle went in, but that was it. No crying!

Mirabella did a great job staying entertained (and was oblivious to the fact that a shot for her awaited)

Nezzie got to come along

Mirabella LOVES cameras and took this one of me from my phone!

Oh no, what's coming?

It was time for Viviana's DTaP/DTP/DT and flu shot. Two shots and she was a mess. She cried harder and for a longer period of time than she has ever done in the past. We felt so sad for her! She did not like having the Band-Aid on her arm either and in the car before we could go anywhere, she insisted it come off.