I didn't die

 I'm alive!

You probably noticed the lack of activity around here and may have alerted the police and filed a missing person's report. You can call them back and tell them, never mind, Kristin is fine, just stereotypically started a blog with the greatest of intentions and didn't make it past seven posts before letting it slip out of sight. This is still something I want to do and that I think I can benefit from. So, without further ado, an update.

The baby you saw last is hardly a baby anymore. She'll be fourteen months this week. Vivian is best described as a foodie, a nurturer, and an adventurer.

This girl LOVES food. Almost all food. This weekend she tried her first sushi (a chicken & cream cheese roll with spicy mayo) and professed her enjoyment with her usual drawn out "mmMMmmmmmm..." and her desperate sign for "More" after each bite. She is super good about taking food out of her mouth if it's too tough to chew or too big to swallow. What excites her the most is the blender. All good things come from the blender. If you hear the whirl, run for the kitchen. It might be a smoothie. It could be garlic-y kale sweet potato. But it most certainly will be delicious.

 Our Vivian has the sweetest heart. She treats her toy animals as she would, literally, want to be treated. She offers them hugs, her pacifier, food, and most of all kisses. Anything that is alive or is a representation of something that would be alive gets a kiss from Vivian. Dogs, pictures of birds, books about kittens, you name it. Even the tiniest ant on the sidewalk did not go unnoticed or unkissed.

When we play "Where's the nose" and similar games, she makes sure she touches everyone's nose if she touches mine, as to not leave anyone out. What fascinates me is that we didn't teach her this. It's her own consideration of others that causes her to find all the noses in the room. Same goes for kisses. If Daddy gets a kiss, so does Mama, Grandma, and the grocery checker, if permitted. If she can't reach someone, she'll blow a kiss. 

Vivi is one brave kid. Much braver than I was... but that is not saying much. She runs straight for towering fountains of water at the Roseville Civic Center and go head first down the slide at the park. She's adventurous and fun and free spirited. 

I plan to write more frequently now so I won't cram everything into one post, but I had to start somewhere. Check back soon.