Vivienne
When you try to take a single picture and walk away with a million gems it’s hard to narrow it down to one.
When we got pregnant with Vivienne, we heard from a few people that it will be interesting to see how much the second baby would help with Camilla’s development. Eric and I would also talk about how much the two would help each other along; not just with Camilla’s development, but also with developing their individual personalities. Would baby #2 become more nurturing in life from helping her sister along the way? Would she develop quicker from watching Millie during her therapy exercises at home? Would she be just as strong and determined as her sister, either inherently or by example from watching her sister’s strength and determination in everything she does?
Although she is only 1 ½ years old, Vivienne is a wise and inquisitive little lady. She picks up on things so quickly. Not just actions and words, but she also has a sense of what is going on and what needs to be done. Vivienne most definitely has a sweet and nurturing nature about her that you can see, but it becomes very evident when she interacts with Camilla. Don’t get me wrong, the girls have their little sibling rivalries and jealous bouts as most siblings do, (even this young), but there have been many times already that Vivi has jumped to help Millie.
Vivi is in that stage where she mimics EVERYTHING. Having this little copycat gives us tons of entertainment but also keeps us on our toes! Along with the funny things Vivienne copies there are a lot of practical, typical and surprising things she has started to copy. A few things that fall into the surprising category are some of the little interactions we have with Camilla, things that are almost habit or natural reactions to us at this point. It quickly became apparent how much Vivienne was picking up when it came to those interactions, sometimes she is helping Camilla before we can. It’s like her little brain has processed “ok this is what I need to do to help my sister”. One sweet little action she mimics is scooting; Vivi started walking at about 11 months and now literally runs circles around us. In the last few months she will suddenly stop running, get on the floor next to Millie and scoot around the kitchen like they are having a race only they got the invite too.
I won’t bore you with all things Vivienne has started to do, you may have spotted some captured on my Instagram stories. And we know she isn’t the only toddler like this but to see the two girls interact not only makes our hearts burst but also gives us that positivity we sometimes need in our days. It shows us that our girls are soaking in so much, helping one another learn and that Camilla is growing in her development. This article is about Vivienne but Millie has really made some leaps lately and I know that a large part of that is due to Vivienne.
I did say I won't bore you with all the things but I do want to share a few little things that Vivienne has started to do all on her own with no prompting from us. She will help Camilla get her coat and shoes off when we get in the house, grab a pair of pants out of the drawer when we are getting ready, run over and try to lift Millie up by her shoulders or place her hand on Millie’s back when she’s sitting up. Vivienne will sit next to Camilla and offer a sip from her cup or some of her snack. She will pat Millie on the back if she starts coughing, and when she starts crying, even though sometimes Vivienne is the cause of those tears! My favorite thing is when she claps and cheers on Camilla...you can see on Millie’s face, and hear in her voice, how much it motivates her!
Unfortunately, Camilla is still battling those nasty spit ups. Vivienne has watched us enough times to know that Millie might need a little clean up on her face and on the floor. There have been a number of times that Camilla has a spit up, and Vivienne runs over to wipe off her face and the floor. The girl LOVES to “clean” so this didn’t surprise us too much, but definitely made us do a double take.
Vivienne is obviously around at home when we are working with Camilla on different exercises from therapy. Some days she doesn’t care and will play on her own, some days she wants to help out, and other days she wants the attention all on her and makes for many interrupted workouts. One skill we often work on with Millie, is going from sit to stand and then into walking. Recently Vivienne has started to run up and try to pick up Camilla by putting her hands on Millie’s shoulders or arms, and pulling up. It’s no joke...she uses all her might to try and get Camilla into a standing position! It’s super sweet to watch, and don’t worry we keep a close eye that no butts leave the ground!
Millie is now communicating with us by using a few different tools, one being some sign language. One benefit to using sign language around Vivienne, is that she has picked up on some of these signs. It has allowed both girls to see each other using these tools, act as a sort of motivation for each girl to speak more and also allows them to learn different communication skills. We have also been able to use a few techniques and tricks we have learned along the way as Vivienne grows her vocabulary.
We were elated and shocked when we found out we were pregnant with Vivienne, from the fact that we conceived naturally, and so soon after we started to try for a second. We started to think “are we crazy for having two so close?!”. I am a big believer in things happening for a reason and at the right time; even if that timing isn’t what you had in mind, which I’d say that is true for about 75% of the time. Camilla and Vivienne have helped each other in so many ways and I know that this amazing little sisterhood is only going to get stronger. They will grow closer and continue to be a fabulous support for each other throughout life.
