Getting To Know Vivi Cate

FYI: we have just recently become contagion-free around here, so I'm a bit behind on life in general.  This includes uploading pictures from our camera.  These pictures are brought to you courtesy of the iphone.


After spending a few days in China with our Vivi Cate, Aaron and I joked around about how we always thought we were going to bring home a calm, quiet little Chinese girl... but it turned out that Vivi was just.as.crazy as our other two kids!!!

Meet our Vivi Cate...

• She is in love with her Gracie Dog.  She gives kisses to Gracie, and Gracie will return those kisses while Vivi giggles and claps.

• She loves shoes!  If I let her, she would try on every pair in the house (including Daddy's)

• She can rock a pair of sunglasses like you wouldn't believe!

• She LOVES trying on new outfits! I was switching out her Winter clothes for her Spring/Summer clothes (in the off chance Spring will FINALLY get here).  She grabbed this swimsuit and demanded that she wear it... 

I think it was about 45 degrees outside, but Vivi didn't care.  She rocked that swimsuit until her daddy came home that night.

• She loves soft and furry things.  The nannies told me this, and it is SO true.  She loves to wrap herself up in blankets, and she loves cuddling with stuffed toys. During the whole 'Contagion' episode, I had to put up her  'Lovey' I brought with us to China.  We would have had to wash it multiple times a day in hot water and dry it on high heat, and we want her Lovey to last awhile, so we just had her sleep with the PBK chamois blankets that have held up remarkably well through the last four years with Caroline.  She was satisfied enough with the softness.  (Vivi also has the hand-me-down PBK chamois sheets, and I swear I heard her let out a deep sigh of contentment when she slept on those sheets for the first time.)

This week I claimed the house contagion-free, and I brought 'Lovey' out of hiding.

She shrieked.giggled. sat down on my kitchen floor. rocked it. and then stroked the soft side for awhile.

• She loves arts and crafts, so I thought she would LOVE the play-doh table at this fun place we went to over Spring Break.  She did end up having a blast.... although it took about thirty minutes and a few temper tantrums before she understood that we don't eat the play-dough. 

•  She went swinging the other day and did not want to stop. She cried when we finally took her out... thirty minutes later.

• She loves to have her hair brushed.  She would LOVE to brush Caroline's hair, but Big Sister is NOT a fan of that just yet.  I honestly can't blame Caroline for that one because Miss Vivi can get a little violent with a hair brush.

• She loves music, and she likes to dance and sing.

• She LOVES to play with dolls.  She rocks them, 'shushes' them, and tries to take them around the house with the stroller.

• She loves her daddy and demands hugs, kisses, and tickles.

• She loves to smile and make people giggle.  

• She can 'CHEESE' on command

• She is a typical first born people-pleaser with an extra side of sassiness.

• She will basically charm the socks off of anyone she meets in less than 10.5 seconds.  

• She LOVES big kids!  

And was THRILLED that she and Cousin Addi had the same pajamas.

• She loves to eat and has the most satisfied smile on her face when she bites into a piece of chocolate.

• She would *ahem* gladly lick her empty bowl if we let her

• She had her first 'school' day this week!  

Camden has CC on Tuesdays, and they have a nursery for the 'littles' while the Mamas help out in the classroom.  Our CC community has been so supportive with Vivi, and we are SO grateful! The teacher 'Miss Renee' was actually a sub at Camden and Caroline's pre-school, and we call her The Baby Whisperer.    Vivi has been in the nursery a few times to get to know Miss Renee, but this would be the first time I would leave her for the whole morning.  As soon as Vivi walked in to see the kids drawing with crayons, she ran straight to the table, sat down, and helped herself to the art supplies.

By the end of the morning, she had made a bunny mask that she wore with pride for the rest of the day

and she was sitting in the teacher chair acting like she owned the place.

When I picked her up for lunch, she was so excited to show me her bunny nose.  She did not have any anxiety about leaving me, and she didn't show any attachment issues with Miss Renee.   Way to go, Vivi!


To sum it up, we think she's pretty stinkin' fabulous, and we can't imagine what our lives would have been like if we hadn't said YES to adoption.... if we hadn't said YES to our Vivi Cate.  Some people tell us that Vivi is so lucky to be adopted, but it is actually Aaron and I who are the lucky ones because we have the privilege of calling Vivi our daughter.  Love that girl!