Sunday, February 28, 2010

Sleep in Heavenly Peace....

Sometimes, a girl just needs her daddy...



Vivi will totally pass out in Russ's arms and sleep forever.  I am quite jealous.  This would never work for me.  She then fell so fast asleep that we were able to set her in the dreaded CARSEAT.  And she. did. not. budge.  Amazing!

 

So Russ and I seized the opportunity to take a nap ourselves.  Sadly, Ollie is quite certain that no nap is complete without him.  I don't know if you've ever tried to nap with eleven pounds of fur laying on your face, but it's not all that relaxing.  C'est la vie!  


Sunday, February 21, 2010

Come on, Mother Nature

So, we woke up today and it was snowing. AGAIN.  So Vivi tried her best to show Mother Nature how AWESOME it would be for spring to come.



What kind of jerk could tell this little flower child "no?"


Saturday, February 20, 2010

Thank you for being a friend

Today, we celebrated a very important event.  4 years ago, on February 15th, my best friend almost died.  He was in a horrible car accident that totaled his car, landed him in surgery, and scared the heck out of the rest of us.  So, every year we get together as a group and celebrate "We're glad you're not dead day."

And every year I think about how sad my life would be without him.  How happy I am that things turned out the way they did.  That he danced with me at my wedding, and that this fall I will dance with him at his.  How much history is there, and how much we will still go through together.  And how lucky our little family is to have the friends we do.

Todd is Vivi's godfather, and of course she had to come and experience her very first "Todd's Still Alive" Celebration!

 

She decided to celebrate by trying to steal Todd's wallet.  Awkward.

She also celebrated by eating a pickle!  Or, gumming a pickle, as it were.  But still, she was very, very excited about the whole thing.

Clan Otto loves you, Todd!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

A little black spot on the sun today...

So, for those of you who don't know, Vivi is a partially breast fed baby.  This of course means I have to pump everyday at work.  3 times a day, for 15 minutes each time, back in what used to be the shower of our employee bathroom.

It gets very boring.

So I bring a book.  Recently, I grabbed one of my favorite feminist diatribes from college, thinking "Oh, I haven't read this in awhile."  Huge mistake.

For the past week, I have been turning the pages, brow increasingly furrowed as I am reminded how hard it is to be a girl.  THis book is about growing up female with the mass media, and how there are constant contredictions as to how a girl should act, think, and what roles she should play.  

OH MY GOD I HAVE A DAUGHTER.  

It doesn't really hit you until you stop and think about it.  I already want to corral everyone who will ever hurt her feelings, or make her feel inadequate, or whatever, and threaten them with a sharp object.  Now am I also supposed to fight Disney and it's terrible gender type-casting?  Should I be reading her Backlash instead of Harry Potter before we go to bed at night?

This is so exhausting.  I love her so much, but I want Vivi to love Vivi as much as I do.  

And yes, Internet, I am PMSing.  Shut it.


Monday, February 15, 2010

Tarzan's Girl

So, Russ and Vivi have a new game. I like to call it "Baby on a Stick," but for some reason, people have negative reactions to this title.  At any rate.

She will grasp on to the bar you twist to open and close the bars on the door, and then grin a super grin, because she knows what's coming...
 
She then proceeds to "swing" back and forth (with a little help from dad) for as long as we'll let her.
Here's hoping this fascination ends before she can actually reach the blinds on her own...

 
Wheeeeee!


Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!


Happy Valentine's Day from Vivi and her super sweet Valentine's day dress!





Super flirt!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Mad Skills, yo.

So, Vivi has a new skill. And all other skills are eclipsed by this new skill. Say "Da-da?" No thank you. Say "ba-ba-ba?" Nah. "Patty-Cake?" She'll pass.



It's all about the motor-mouth, baby.

Monday, February 8, 2010

A study in Green...

...beans, that is.

Tonight, Russ fed Vivi while I made dinner.  Normally, she loves green beans.  Tonight, however, she kept making the "motorboat" noise, and the result was...well, it was almost artistic.

 

I blame my obsession with America's Next Top Model.  This past weekend I watched an episode where they did a shoot with the girls' faces covered in different colors of paint.  I didn't think Vivi was watching, but...

 

...I'm thinking maybe I was wrong.







Sunday, February 7, 2010

7 months old

Our little lady is 7 months old today.  Doesn't seem possible!  How did we celebrate?  By having Vivi's first taste of the snow.  I had (foolishly) assumed we were done with the snow for the year and this would have to wait until next year.  Wishful thinking, Anna. You live in Nebraska.

So, if you can't beat them, join them!

 

But you don't have to like it.

 

In awe of the snowman dad made.

 

She then befriended him!


And big smiles for Mommy!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Baby Hawk

So, while it is nowhere near as impressive as some of the mops sported by other babies we know, Vivi IS getting some hair.  Of course, Russ and I have been anxiously awaiting the moment we could give her the very first baby bath mohawk.

 

We know.  It's not that giant.  But given the baldness of our baby, we are most proud!

 

Hawktastic.


Friday, February 5, 2010

Big Talker

Well, the long awaited event has finally happened--Vivi said her first word!

Da-da, and then, very clearly, dad.  

And I cried a little.  Not because she didn't say ma-ma, but because it was so sweet, so innocent, and she is already very much a daddy's girl.  Vivi Jo is convinced her daddy is the biggest, strongest, funniest, most awesome guy on the planet.

And so am I.