Time in a Bottle

I have said it before and I will say it again, don't blink. It is unreal to me that I now have a toddler who is well on her way to walking, talking, eating on her own, and playing independently. Vivie's first birthday was a whirlwind of preparation, excitement, and yes, a few tears from her mama. Her 2 birthday parties went perfectly, although I must admit they were exhausting! All I could think about as I planned, planned, and planned, was that I wanted to stop time and soak her up just as she is right now at 1 year old.

So Vivie, to commemorate your first year, I want to try and capture time in a metaphorical bottle. This is who you are right now, as an amazing and sweet one year old baby girl.

Your laugh is the most contagious experience of my life. When you laugh that deep, hearty, belly laugh there is no better sound in the world. It would be impossible to not laugh or smile along with you. You laugh when we tickle you, especially on your chubby thighs, when we turn you upside down, when Stella licks you, when Daddy walks in the door,  when you see your cousins, and when you look at pictures. If there is one quality that I hope and pray you never lose, it would be your joyful spirit. It is infectious, and offers me more happiness than you will ever know.

You love to play. You are now loving on your babies and feeding them bottles, and it is probably the cutest thing I have ever seen. I love watching your mind figure things out, and I love the intense look you get on your face when you are playing with your toys.

You love to eat! We have transitioned you to table food, much to your delight, and you love it! Your favorite things right now are macaroni & cheese, green beans, grilled cheese, bananas, chicken, and you still love those cereal puffs. We love to watch you eat, and Stella loves it when you drop her some leftovers! You love drinking water, and are now enjoying milk. Mama is still working on dropping the last bottle, but it has been hard for me. I know once you are off the bottle, you will be a big girl!

You love other children, especially your cousins. Your face lights up when you see other children, and I hope that you will always have that loving, outgoing personality.

You love to crawl, and loved to be chased! You have stood on your own briefly, but do not seem that anxious to walk. We are working on it, but  right now you are very content to crawl.

You are on the go constantly and rarely want to be held. Your daddy and I are always craving cuddle time, but you never want to sit still. Any opportunity we have to just hold and cuddle you, we take full advantage of!


I hope one day you read this and it gives you an idea of who you are at this sweet, sweet age. I love listening to you babble, squeal, laugh, and growl. I love watching you crawl across the floor and play with your toys. I am trying to memorize every single aspect of you at this moment, and wish I could store it all up in a bottle. My time in a bottle will be the thousands of pictures, the videos, and this blog. I hope that you will read this one day, maybe when you have a 1 year old, and gain a sense of your radiance, your happiness, and your charming nature. I delight in every day with you, and watching you grow has been the greatest joy of my life.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I know this is coming really late. And I am not one to procrastinate, but after Christmas, I found myself organizing Christmas decorations, sorting through all of Vivie's new toys, getting ready for a new teaching semester, and wishing Shane a safe trip every weekend on his way to Arkansas for his favorite time of year. Needless to say, I have not had much time to reflect on Vivie's first Christmas even though it was magical!

I absolutely love Christmas. I love throwing parties, decorating, dressing up, shopping, wrapping, baking, etc. I love everything about the holiday and now sharing it with Vivie has brought a special holiday even more magic and excitement. I had no idea how excited I would be about being "Santa" and dressing Vivie up in her adorable Christmas dresses. Everyone kept telling me not to expect much from her, but as usual Vivie delivered her joy and sunshine right on schedule.

The week leading up to Christmas was crazy. Between Monday night family dinner, Tuesday night family dinner, time with Shane's immediate family, and time with my immediate family, we were exhausted. I did not know how Vivie would react to all of the excitement, noise, and chaos, but she was amazing. She enjoyed every minute of her time with all of her cousins, but was thoroughly exhausted by the time she made it to bed each night.

Christmas morning brought more excitement. Ironically, Vivie decided to sleep a little later than usual, and we were dying for her to wake up! Lucky little Vivie had many visitors that morning. All of her grandparents and great grandparents came by to see her, and play with her toys.

I was not sure if she would even know what was going on, but she took off after the toys! I think her favorite gift was her little people and her new kitchen. She seemed to have so much fun playing with all of her toys. I know each year will bring in new excitement, and there is truly nothing like seeing the enchantment of the holiday through a child's eyes.

Vivie's first Christmas was something I know I will never forget. I  hope to instill in her the true meaning of the season, and I hope she will always be filled with peace in knowing she is never alone. I have always loved Christmas, but now there are no words to even begin describe how much I will look forward to sharing the holidays with she and Shane. All of my dreams have come true and what a perfect time of year to reflect on the happiness that God has blessed me with.