Happy 9 Month Birthday Vivian!

Vivian is 9 months old today! I can't believe it's been that long already.

Here she is 9 months ago. . .
So tiny!
Look at those skinny little legs!



Here she is today!




Still on the petite side, but with chubby little legs.


And big blue eyes

Sweet Baby Girl!

Julia's Big Boo Boo

Monday I did just what every mother wants to do. . .
spend the afternoon in a Children's Hospital ER with 2 small children.

Here is the time line--

12:10 pm: Julia stood up in her chair at the kitchen table and talk to Vivian while I was making lunch. She then proceeded to fall out of her chair (which has booster legs on it so it is another 4 inches taller) and land on the hard kitchen floor chin first.

She broke the skin and was bleeding a little. I couldn't tell how deep the cut was, but it bruised very quickly. I decided that she should go to the ER and have it checked out in case it needed stitches.

I got her calmed down and we all finished lunch. (who wants to to to an ER on an empty stomach?) I called Dan and let him know what was going on. He was unable to meet us there because it was a payroll day and the first day of January month-end close.

12:45: I got dressed and made myself look presentable--no shower. Dan calls and asks if I could take her to Urgent Care instead of the ER because it would be a cheaper claim on our insurance. Unfortunately, if she needed stitches, Urgent Care won't do them on young children. He suggested I call the Dr. to see where she recommends I take her. I call to appease him, and wait on hold for over 5 minutes. The nurse says take her to the ER.

1:00: I'm finally ready to walk out the door and I can't find my keys. Dan did something with them this past weekend when we went to Indiana. I call him at work--no answer. I call his cell--he says they are in my purse--there are about 6 different compartments in my purse. He tells me which one and I found them.

1:15: Finally pull out of the garage. Realize I don' t have enough gas to get to the ER.

1:45: Get to the Cincinnati Children's in Liberty Township. Set up the double stroller. Load up the sleeping children. Wait my turn. Get checked in.

2:05: Sit down and wait. Julia is asleep, Vivian is awake and won't last too much longer in her seat.

2:20: Get registered.

3:10: Our name is finally called. Julia wakes up just as we get to the weigh station and is, of course, not happy. The nurse asks pertinent medical questions, takes vitals, and sends us back out to the waiting room.

3:30: We get called to go back to our triage room. The nurse asks more questions, leaves and we wait some more. Vivian is crying because she is tired. Julia is crying because she is tired and scared. I want to cry just because. We start reading books. Vivian falls asleep, Julia calms down.

3:50: The Dr. finally comes in. She asks more questions. Examines Julia. Diagnoses her with Contusions and Abrasions. That's Dr. talk for a bruise and a cut. No stitches required. Yea! (although, I'm thinking at least stitches would have made my time and money worthwhile)

4:10: A paramedic comes in and washes her chin with soap and water and puts on neosporin and a band-aid (which she actually left on)

4:20: We are discharged to go home. Julia wants to finish reading a book we started (and had already read) so we finished it and left.

4:30: Leaving the parking lot for home.

What a day! I was supposed to go to a meeting that evening, but didn't end up making it. Dan got home just after 8. The girls were in bed by 9. I was ready to collapse. What a day!

Fun in the Snow

We have about 8-10 inches of snow that fell over the last couple of days. We had about 4 inches yesterday morning then we had sleet that started late yesterday afternoon and lasted late into the night. Then it snowed all morning today. We were fortunate not to get all the ice that hit only about 20 miles south. Dan is working from home today so we decided to take the girls out in the snow for a little bit after lunch.

Julia was breaking the icicles off the trash can, taking a bite then throwing the rest on the ground. I think she got all of them off.

We did this last year--Dan made a sled out of a laundry basket and pulled Julia all around the yard. There was a layer of ice on top then. The snow today is nice and fluffy so the sled didn't slide well.

Julia wasn't too excited about it anyway.

Neither was Vivian.

Here's Dan showing Julia how to make snow angels. She layed down but got snow in her sleeve (because she took of her mittens) and wanted back up again so I didn't get a picture. Maybe next time.

Why do we buy expensive baby toys?

Why do we research baby toys looking for the ones that will make them smarter?
We can just give them things already in our homes and save lots of money!
These things seem to make them just as happy or even happier.


Vivi loves to go after the cord for our electric space heater--plugged in or not.



She also enjoys the cat toys.
The jingle puffy ball on a spring made her giggle.

Things Julia can do

Julia can be a good Big Sister and feed
Vivian Cheerios


She can jump off of things.


She can read books to her Bitty Baby.


She can stick her fingers in her nose.


Julia is 2.
She is good at it.
She can do something funny and something
aggravating all in the same minute.

She can pile all her big girl underpants and pull

out all the wipes from the baby wipes box on

her bed while she should be sleeping.

She can climb up on the crib and wake up Vivian

when they both should be sleeping.

And Julia can be a sweet sleeping angel.

Things Vivian can do

Vivian is about 8 1/2 months old now and has reached a number of developmental milestones just in the last month.

She started crawling just before Christmas.

(commando style)

On New Years Day she started pulling herself up

and cruising.

2 weeks ago Vivian learned how to sit herself up.

She was so excited about her new talents, she

stayed up late at night practicing sitting up and

standing up.

And, Vivian can just melt your heart.

Holiday Pictures

Here are a few holiday pictures.

Julia had the present-opening thing down.

Vivian was really into the bows.

Vivian and her cousin Aubree.