Solids and Spider- Man

She's a rolly-polly, scooting and turning and somehow getting herself across rooms. I'll lay her down on the floor on a blanket and find her on the other side of the room a few minutes later. She's also discovered her toes, which is seriously too cute. She started to notice them while sitting in her Bumbo, and now when she lays on her back she reaches up for them and either just likes to hold her toes, or she tries to eat them. But she has really chubby legs, so they don't quite squish up to her mouth as well as she'd like.

She's also started sampling solid food. Still won't take a bottle of any kind, and binkies are chew toys, not for sucking or soothing, Her favorite is frozen yogurt, chocolate flavor. 

 Sometimes I match them accidently on purpose.

 Siblings, no?

 Bad guy face. He's actually looking at the camera.

 

She can be moody.

 Oh, how she likes to eat faces!

 Not this one though. He's too fierce.

 He climbs like Spider- Man, but then he reaches for a stair and hangs by one arm "like King Louis" from Jungle Book

 You've just had web shot at you. 

I don't mean to compare, but...

Vivian does this really great thing where she sleeps in her own crib. She whimpers and shrieks and rubs her eyes when she is tired. It's amazing- it's like she's communicating with us. All I have to do is swaddle her and let her work through her seriously adorable chatty-ness phase. She gargles and gurgles with her eyes closed, as if she is so tired she has to tell me how tired she is before she can go to sleep. Then she gets quieter, sleepy, and on good days I can put her in her crib like that and she'll drift off on her own, softly murmuring. Most days I can put her down in her crib, gently rock the frame for a minute while she settles, and then I'm good to go. Bad days mean a couple rounds of putting her down and picking her back her up before she'll settle for sleeping out of my arms. Even on those days though, from start to finish it is usually less than 15 minutes. No bouncing and jostling and shhh-ing for hours, no guessing about if it is time for a nap, no nursing endlessly, no spending every nap time in absolute silence, frozen still, for fear of waking up the baby who finally dozed off on my chest as I'm sitting in a terribly uncomfortable arm-falling-off position. It's nice to sit in bed and flip through parenting books, nodding knowingly, finally understanding what they are talking about when they say "when your baby shows signs of being tired..." and "babies thrive on predictable schedules." Then I look over and pat Creedo's lovely soft head, nuzzled right into my back, taking over my pillow, and repeat to myself a series of comforting mantras. It starts with "At least he's sleeping," then rises not very calmly to "I just want my bed back," oscillates back and forth, and ends with "Let him be little and sleep in the middle" over and over until I fall asleep. 

Look, look, look at us!

I've been trying to get family and sibling pictures taken care of since Vivian was born. It's hard enough to get Steve to smile, let alone Creedo and Vivian. This was our latest attempt, and probably the best we've gotten so far because at least no one is crying. Credit goes to the photographer, a friend in my ward, who volunteered her services and the train track idea. 

Twofer

Creedence is two! Can you believe it? I can. He's a loveable handful.
He is interested in everything right now, from superheroes and bugs to dental floss and shoes. He has an incredibly sharp memory and learns new words daily. He is as strong as ever.  He wrestled the doctor and I so intensely at his two year checkup that we three were all sweating by the time we pinned him down. He wasn't even getting shots, just a routine abdomen examination! He is a hunka hunka chunk of toddler at 31 lbs, and remains taller than average with an exceptionally fine, large head (since birth it's been in in the 95th percentile or higher). He is thinning out a bit, but he still had deliciously chubby cheeks and legs.
At this time last year, had I known that a year later he still doesn't sleep through the night, I would have probably felt sick to my stomach. His current tally of all night slumber remains at only seven nights ever. Yet somehow, even with a newborn, we are all managing. Who knows when he'll get it. Right now, I'm counting my blessings and glad that at least he loves his sister. Two months in, and he is still all hugs and kisses for her. Speaking of kisses, he's gotten into making a game out of trying to give mouth kisses. I'm not a fan of parents planting a big smackeroo on the lips of their children, so one of our family mantras is "Only Mommies and Daddies give mouth kisses!" (others include "Baby only drinks milk!" and "Only Mommy and Daddy drive the car!"). He'll grab your cheeks and try to pull you into his adorable puckered mouth, then laugh as you try to squirm it into a beso instead.
I know I'll miss those kisses soon, but for now he's gotten a bit more cuddly. When I'm nursing Vivian, sometimes he'll come snuggle up with me and we'll watch a "funny show" or as a treat before bedtime, we sometimes watch his one of his favorites, "people falling!" which is America's Funniest Home Videos.
We really love talking to him. There is no reasoning with him, but it is great to communicate with him. Even when he is mad it is nice to understand him. His most common requests are for more milk, the iPad, going outside, ice cream, apples, Fantastic Mr. Fox, more jumping, more throwing, more play. At times he gets a kick out of calling me Maria and Steve Stephen, or as of late, calling me Mommia.
He still rubs his stomach every time he drinks from his favorite blue cup, which reminds me of his nursing and bottle days of yore. He's still just a big baby in some ways, and I cherish those moments when he needs me in a sweet simple way. Other times, like when he's screaming "More Temple Run!" or "I don't like it!!" I sometimes am taken aback at how much older and independent he seems. I'm excited to watch him grow more and more into his own person. Happy birthday Deedo Boy!

 

Candles! He still loves lighting them and blowing them out.

 This lucky duck had lots of family in town around his birthday and Vivian's blessing. His birthday dinner was at Steve's Uncle and Aunt's home in Heber, where he was presented with a very exciting remote control car. Some of his other favorite presents include an awesome scooter, some fabulous nerf guns, and lots of super superhero gear.

 Angry bird face while eating his birthday brownies and ice cream. The angry bird walk is even better. I'll try to get it on camera some day.

  

 Creedo adores his neighbors and this little friend (remember the Superman from the Little Boo Bash?) who came over for Creedence's rockin' birthday party. Creedo and his good friend Eli are a day apart in age, and they had a combined friend party that included a tour of the fire station and home made ice cream.

 The best pic I got of the two birthday boys during the party, ha!

 Friends and neighbors around our sweet and simple yet incredibly legit hand made ice cream created by Eli's mom (in white shirt).

 Playing pin the spider on Spider-Man's web. 

The party was a huge, loud success. These two little boys are well loved.

Vivian's Blessing

Vivian was blessed today. It was beautiful! I love knowing that the circle of men will provide positive examples, support, guidance, love, protection, wisdom, and encouragement throughout Vivian's life. Her dress was absolutely perfect. Her grandmother (my mom) sewed the dress using fabric and lace from her own wedding dress, which was sewn by her mother and grandmother. That means Vivian's great-great grandmother, great grandmother, and grandmother were all involved in that beautiful baby gown, making it a beautiful female compliment to the men in the circle. The blessing itself was also full of the spoken love of Vivian's parents and our hopes for her intelligence, faith, health, kindness, compassion, discernment and more. She is so precious to us.

 Forsyth Side

 The Circle

 Johnson Side + Rebecca

 (turned out blurry- but these ladies are wonderful and I'm so glad they made the effort to come up!)

 Vivian and her Great-Grandmother Forsyth

Cugino!

 Ben and new Baby Miles

 Great Uncle and Great Aunt 

 Uncle Gideon- the first person on this earth to hold both baby Zofie (my brother's newborn daughter) and baby Vivian. What a lucky guy!

 A slightly less blurry pic of Johnson side

 Haynie Side

 Grandparents Haynie

 Us!

 I just really like Sadie in this one : )

Ok, I cannot say enough about how much this dress means to me. It is so beautiful and full of love. I just adore how special it is and how special Vivan is to me and the women who came before her!