Here is a recap of what my kiddos are like lately. I just love them so much.
Samantha
Sam is doing really well at keeping up with her sisters. She is really stable on her feet now and is trying to say a few words. She says "Arha" for Ryley and her pacifier. She says "Ba" for her sippy cup, bow, or ball. She loves to hide things. If we are playing with a puzzle, you'll notice a few pieces missing. And there is Sam, hiding them in the corner. She does a good job of bringing them back when you ask her. She has the most infectious giggle. It is especially cute when its her sisters that have her laughing. For the most part, Sam is happy. She is the most sensitive and will shed a tear for any bump or stolen toy but she is getting more and more independent. She hasn't mastered the climbing skills yet like her sisters. She may just be less interested in seeing what is on the couch or in the jumper. She is so picky when it comes to eating food. She would live on watermelon and hot dogs if I let her. She practically won't touch any vegetable or meat. There are a few fruits she likes and most carbs she will eat. Her hair is now long enough for pigtails and a pseudo-pony tail. She is so cute and it makes her look a little older. She loves to climb on her Dad's back or belly and bounce like a horse. She's still our tiny one but she is getting stronger all the time. Sam is always the first to fall asleep during nap time. But, she sleeps less time than the other two and this means she is up about 30-45 minutes before her sisters at each nap. We get a lot of one-on-one time this way. Normally I let her roam around the house and explore. She loves it.
Taylor
Taylor has gone through a phase of neediness and I think she is becoming more independent every day. She has started to grow a little hair and is becoming obsessed with bows. She is so jealous when I am doing her sisters' hair, she pats her heads and wines. I have to either clip a bow on the inch long hair that she has on the top of her head or brush it or act like I'm fixing it and tell her how pretty it looks. She walks off satisfied after that. Her new favorite thing is climbing on the exersaucer. Mallory taught her how to do it and now its hard to keep her out. She still sticks everything in her mouth and I have to keep an eye on her when she has a book, because it seems like her favorite thing is cardboard. She always takes the longest to fall asleep for her nap, which means she normally sleeps the latest. She still makes her sleeping noises when she is falling asleep. That sound will never get old and I hope she continues to hum when she sleeps. She does so well with pointing to body parts. She knows her hair (of course), ears, nose, belly, toes, eyes, and mouth. She does good with animal noises and knows cow, pig, elephant, and gorilla. She has the cutest cheesy smile and loves to be tickled.
Mallory
Mallory is so clever and smart. She is going to be our troublemaker. She steals toys and wants my attention as soon as someone else is getting it. She has the most extensive vocabulary. She says (noises that sound like...) bird, book, bow, Mama, Dada, bath, monkey, Nana. She is still our first to do almost anything. Now, its the first to climb on the couch, or the sofa table, or the jumperoo. She figures it out and her sisters follow. She's our little leader I guess. She is so strong. We haven't been back to Little Gym but she loves to swing from a bar or practice her forward rolls. She will eat just about anything you put in front of her. She gobbles it down quick, too. She is always finished before her sisters and wants out of the feeding table. She is obsessed with books. Any room we go, she knows where the stash of books are, and she points, says book, and then the more sign. She is getting better at puzzles and shape sorters, however she will get frustrated and just push the piece as hard as she can. One day she will figure out the square will just not fit in the triangle, as hard as you push. Mallory can give some really dirty looks. Sometimes I think she is just doing it to get a laugh, because as soon as I smile or laugh at her, she grins and chuckles too.
Almost the scowl that Mallory can give. She is beginning to grin though.
These little girls of mine are changing and growing so much. They are so different than they were at 12 months. They are bubbly, cute, little toddlers that are beginning to communicate and develop opinions. I'm feeling confident enough to let them walk themselves from room to room now, and it is the cutest thing ever. They're just 3 little people following each other in a line to snack time or to take a bath. Mallory will occasionally jet another direction and Sam may get left behind by the other two, but for the most part they are doing well with following directions when we are walking in the house. I've also found out that they love shoes. My parents bought them their first pair, and I should have known when it was never a fight to put them on. We went shoe shopping this past weekend and they would have a fit if we tried on a pair and then had to take them off. We finally settled for a pair of white Nike's for each of them. They wouldn't let us take them off, so they each left the store wearing one tennis shoe each. They were happy campers.
We have joined the Country Club in our neighborhood and they love going to the pool. We pack up the wagon and use it to transfer all the babies and our belongings to the pool area from the car. We are then able to put the girls in their infant floats in the baby pool. They are tall enough to reach the bottom so they love roaming around the baby pool. Its great because I don't have a baby in my arms at all times and Brian and I can take turns eating and watching the girls. They are all beginning to pay attention to the TV a little more. Is it bad that I am happy about this? We have started time out with them as well. They think it is more of a game at this point, but hopefully they understand the concept soon. They love riding toys now. While in Wisconsin, they got to play with a lot of different riding toys and now in Houston they love their Fergie (a rocker that is a frog).
They still use their pacifiers when they sleep and about 20 minutes before bedtime. And I don't see them giving them up any time soon. Plus, I don't want to have that fight yet. They are beginning to play together and its so cute when they share a toy or a book. I can't wait to watch their relationships blossom.
I look forward to everyday with these girls. Seeing their smiling faces when they wake up in the morning is priceless. I think they are the cutest things ever. I love them so so much.
Our evening ritual. I say we are going to read a book and they all stop what the are doing (normally fussing at this point at night), gather around me and sit quietly while I read to them. I love that time in the evening.
Sister love :)
And since we are in full swing for football season, GEAUX TIGERS! I love the girls' adorable bloomers for game days :)
