Sunday Funday....

Helpers...

We have had some unusual Jersey weather latetly - well unusual for us over the past 3 years... We have had snow! We had a few inches earlier this week and then it snowed all day today - will likely end up with 4 inches or so... Although a far cry from Wisconsin weather, it provides for some interesting long days :-) Here are a few shots of the kids today...

During naptime, Declan and I played outside - pretty sure it's the first time I have worn my snowpants in 3 years, a bit big, but they did the trick!

And here is what the girls were doing while we were outside - this is an hour into their nap... They did decide to finally fall assleep, but then we had to wake them up at 4 pm! Steve is on the bottom left jumping up and down - you can faintly see Bria (on the right) and Aven (above Stevie) - this is a typcal naptime playtime routine when they aren't too tired :-)

When the girls got up, I decided to let them help me make potato soup... Yet another challenge with having triplets is that if one does something, then they all want to do it. Aven has always had the longest attention span, and best fine motor skills - which makes her great at coloring, cooking, helping, etc. Bria and Stevie on the other hand - not so great at these things - or rather it depends on the day.

As I was chopping, Bria and Aven wanted to know what I was doing...

Aven starting to help... 

More "helping" - I still need to re-organize this drawer...

All the girls join in!

Bria & Stevie...

And earlier this morning Aven and Stevie playing TOGETHER! Amazing... It's really cute lately that Stevie wants to do EVERYTHING that Aven does - Aven takes off her shirt, Stevie does it; Aven puts her brother's shoe on, Stevie puts the other one on; Aven plays with a stroller, Stevie playes with one... It will be interesting to see how long this lasts.

And Stevie looking cute today...

25 Months!

The girls monthly birthday snuck up on me yesterday, so I had to take the opportunity to take some pictures just before bed... The girls continue to develop their own personality and it amazes me every day at how different the three of them can be. I think I figured that having three at once, although all fraternal, that they would be similar in personality - so not the case... They all have strong personalities, yet so different. They continue to test their limits, make us laugh and pick up something new every single day...

Aven: Aven is our biggest test... She will find anything and everything that will push our buttons. She wants the most attention and if you aren't paying her any, she will go out of her way to make sure you start too. On a daily basis, we see more and more of Declan and constantly catch ourselves comparing her to Declan at that age. She's also the one who wears her emotions on her sleeve - if one is upset, she is sure to be as well and when others are happy she feeds off of them (usually).

• Nicknames: Avie, Ave
• Favorite thing to do: She currently likes her little people, building things (blocks or big legos) and lining things up in a row (magnets. blocks, cars, little people, etc - all in a perfect line). She also loves reading books and coloring. 
• Favorite food: Any type of breakfast food (i.e. waffles, hash browns, eggs)
• Favorite toy: Books, blocks, little people and shoes (doesn't matter who's)
• Favorite TV show: Yo Gabba Gabba and Mickey Mouse Club House (she likes TV the most)
• Morning or Night: Night - she's usually the last one to go to bed and her and Stevie often mess around for a good 30-60 minutes while in their cribs. She's always been the most restless of the girls and not much has changed. Although she's like her brother and Dad in the morning or when waking up from naps and tends to be a bit crabby...
• Things she likes to say: Her favorite word and sign continues to be "more" - I'd say, she's the least chatty of the three of them. She says a lot and has full fledged triplet talk but we don't understand a lot of it.
• Funniest thing she does: She loves chasing Declan around and around and around, all over the place... She's really figured out how fun he can be and she just goes nuts with him. She laughs, he laughs and they have a great time. She's also insists upon taking off her shirt randomly throughout the day...

Bria: Bria has been our little angel lately... Happy, full of life and just a lover. This has always been part of her personality, but she has also had big swings - just lately she's been this all the time (and a great balance for us with the other two). She loves to give hugs and kisses and she's just got a lovable, likable personality...

• Nicknames: Bri, Bri Bri, B-B, B
• Favorite thing to do: Climb
• Favorite food: Meat - any kind, chicken, hot dogs, hamburger - oh and she likes bananas now :-)
• Favorite toy: Car, riding toys and books
• Favorite TV show: Yo Gabba Gabba (but she's always been the least interested in TV)
• Morning or Night: Night, definitely not a morning kid... Much like her big brother and Dad, we almost always have to wake her in the morning and she's generally crabby in the morning. Is definitely our best sleeper - first to sleep and last to get up. When her sisters are up chatting away, she's out cold. Can't even remember the last time she woke up in the middle of the night (now I just jinxed it).
• Things she likes to say: Mama, Dada, Papa (for Grandpa), more, done, up, bye, hi and several other things that make sense to her and her sisters but we don't understand.
• Funniest thing she does: Gets naked in the morning or at a minimum takes of her diaper in the morning before we get them all out of bed. It's about every other day that we go in and Bria is either naked, with just a diaper on or has her PJ's on, but no diaper (which is always interesting). 

Stevie: Although traditionally Stevie has always been our little angel, she's really been testing her limits lately.  I think she's finally figured out that to be heard she needs to make a little more noise. I also think that traditionally she's been a few months behind the other two girls, so her "difficult phase" is coming on in full force right now. She still is a little lover who LOVES giving hugs and kisses (and will meet  you at the door handing them out :))

• Nicknames: Sweet Pea (that's what Andy calls her a lot)
• Favorite thing to do: Read books, climb and sit on the top of the couch like a cat (on a blanket).
• Favorite food: Bananas (still)
• Favorite toy: Books, little people, music toys and any of Declan's toys
• Favorite TV show: Yo Gabba Gabba
• Morning or Night: Both, but is happy in the morning (mostly) - she will trade off with Aven on who wakes up first. 
• Things she likes to say: Hi
• Funniest thing she does: At night when her and Aven are having their deep conversations, she puts her blanket over her head and walks around her crib while her and Aven laugh hysterically (we watch on the video monitor). She's also become quite the little hoarder... When you get her in the morning, you need to bring with her blanket, lovie, stuffed animal and pillow.

Although they can be challenging, they are so much fun too (and way easier then when they were babies). Here are some pictures from the last few days...

L to R with their crazy hair: Bria, Stevie & Aven...

Stevie...

Bria...

Aven...

Trying to get a kids picture - failure...

Stevie and her hoarding... fully dressed, but PJ's back on (just the sleeves) and her collection of the other girl's PJs...

Declan (there must be a theme with our kids not being fully dressed)

Stevie acting like a cat on the top of the couch...

Aven tonight without her shirt on... Oh and I forgot to mention whenever Aven takes her shirt off, Stevie MUST have hers off too.

Crazy Aven...

The Lawry kids meet Santa!

Tonight I convinced Andy and my sister to take all the kids to see Santa and then go to dinner afterwards... Well, Santa was more of a success than I expected, but the entire evening was about what I expected with some crying, some temper tantrums and some stubbornness (mostly by the kids :-)). Because Santa wasn't quite ready for us, we walked around the mall a bit and stopped by Barnes and Noble. The girls trashed the store and Declan whined the whole time, so we didn't stay long. Santa was ready for us by then and here was the result... Oh and Declan asked Santa "for a million Dollars" - so we should be good this Christmas :-)

L to R: Aven, Stevie (clearly not happy with sitting on Santa's lap) and Bria...

I especially like this one because Declan is plugging his ears - the whole experience was pretty hilarious...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was too stuffed last night to blog, but didn't want to miss out on wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving and remembering what we are thankful for. Andy and I are thankful for the obvious reasons of having 4 healthy, happy children and a great life. Declan said that he's thankful for his "sisters and legos" (hey, I'm just glad he said his sisters :-)). But we have one more thing to be thankful for this year... That we will never, ever, ever wash or use another bottle (at least until our grandchildren). That's right, the girls no longer get any bottles - although 2 may seem old to many of you to still get a bottle, but since we had 3 at once, the "rules" around these things don't apply to us :-) Regardless, we are bottle free in the Lawry household - unless it contains alcohol of course... Here's some pictures from the last few days...

The girls not cooperating with me per usual... (L to R: Bria, Stevie & Aven)

They are SOOOOO excited for Thanksgiving!

And a kids picture... Gotta love Declan in is underwear - that poor kid is going to grow up wondering why he was never wearing clothes...

Another kid picture :-) (L to R: Bria, Stevie & Aven)

L to R: Aven, Stevie & Bria

Sweet Stevie...

And our new bedtime routine...

Videos

I've been trying to take more videos lately and usually I forget to post them... so here some are... Declan, Aven and Bria playing ring around the rosie :-)

Back by popular demand, here's Stevie talking tonight - love her...

Stevie saying "HI" - this is her new favorite word :-)

Bria and Stevie... Although Bria is hogging the camera. I love it when she says momma - especially when she's not saying it while whining...

Stevie was a big kisser tonight and really all the kids were loving each other. I took this rare opportunity to video some of it :-)

You will not defeat us...

As the terrible 2's set in times 3, I felt it appropriate to tell you how we get through each day... By repeating over and over and over again that they will not defeat us...

You will not defeat us when you refuse to take off your PJ's and insist upon wearing your rain boots all. morning. long. (Aven)...

You will not defeat us when you scream and holler when putting clothes on for the day, to then begin to strip them off (Bria)...

You will not defeat us when you refuse to cooperate for pictures (L to R: Stevie, Aven & Bria)...

You will not defeat us when the rare moment that you actually cooperate is when only 2 of 3 are in the picture (Aven & Bria)...

You will not defeat us when you look happy and cute (Stevie) and then 5.2 seconds later take the toy that your sister has been playing with for 10 minutes which instigated a 20 minute temper tantrum...

You will defeat us when you are cooperating, quite and silently reading which erases all the temper tantrums, hitting, screaming, pushing and naughtiness throughout the day...