Vivienne: 10 Months

I really can't even believe that my baby is 10 months old already. 

It's hard to even wrap my head around that fact that she is so close to a year old.

These past 10 months have been incredible.

I, as a woman and a mother have learned and grown so much that I sometimes can hardly recognize myself. 

My child, has learned and grown so much that I can't even remember what it was like to have a newborn or baby.

The life of a child is really the most amazing thing in the world (and then of course, being a parent). 

Every day is a new adventure for us and for Viv. 

Watching her grow is the greatest earthly delight. 

Everyday Viv learns new things.

She learns to be more patient and more content with little things and she learns to be more attentive to details.

She knows most everything that we say to her.

"Viv can you give Mama a hug and kiss?" I'll say to her and she will come running and throw her arms around my neck and squeeze me tight and gives me the softest little kiss on the cheek. 

"Viv can you go give this to Daddy?" and she'll take whatever it is I gave her and run it to her Daddy. 

"Viv do you want to go pick out a snack?" and she runs to the snack shelf and picks her goodies.

"Viv who's on the phone?" and she puts her hand up to her ear and says: "Hewwo Mama?"

"Can Mama change your dippy?" and she runs into her room, takes a diaper out of the diaper holder and waits for me to put her on the changing table. 

"Do you want to take a tubbie?" and she runs to the bathroom and gets her bath toys out of the closet and waits at the bathtub for me. 

Whenever we go in the car we put on the radio and she sings and dances in her car seat until she falls asleep.

When we go out to restaurants we order her a kid's meal and she eats the whole thing! Taking her to restaurants is my favorite thing because she loves them so much. She eats and talks the whole time and entertains all the other people there. She's always the main attention everywhere we go. 

She's always the happiest little girl and just so full of sunshine.

At home, she runs around all day long pulling toys out, taking all her books off of her bookshelves, taking clothes out of all our dressers. Her energy is never ending. 

She still takes two naps a day though I'm trying to ease her into just one afternoon nap. 

I follow her around for hours at a time just cleaning up her messes.

She eats all her main meals in her highchair but she likes to carry around her snacks...so there's always food all over and I'm forever sweeping and mopping.

We've been doing a lot of hands-on activities lately like coloring, little easy baby crafts, and baking.

Helping me bake is one of her favorite things to do...she helps pour in all the ingredients and stir.

It's so cute!

We're still co-sleeping and I'll be totally honest about how I feel about it...

I hate it anymore!

I used to absolutely love co-sleeping and having my baby right next to me all night but now that she's getting older it's getting harder. She's still breastfeeding all day and night and she can't go to sleep without nursing. Every nap and every night at bedtime she has to nurse to sleep. It's getting worse though in that she's needing it more and more to stay asleep. She wakes up if she's not nursing and I'm not in bed with her. I wouldn't have such a problem with it but because we're having another baby in 6 months I'm a little worried. 

As soon as we put Viv in her crib she flips out - cries so hard she can't breathe, screams, flails her body - it's  so bad.

So we're going to have to figure out something drastic in the next few months with that. 

Other than that little situation, Viv is so much fun and so full of life (funny, since that's what her name means!) and we're having a blast with her. 

Christmas is only 9 days away and I just cannot wait!

This little girl is going to be so spoiled by her Mama and Daddy and all her grandparents, so that'll be fun!