Aven:
Aven is nuts. That's all there is too it. She gets the biggest kick out of herself and I'm pretty sure she thinks she's the funniest person she knows. And I thought Joy and I were the only one's that thought that. She is built like her brother and is probably the strongest of the three. She crawls crazy fast, gets up stairs before you even notice that she's missing and can cruise around furniture like no one's business. Although Bria was the first to take a few steps, Aven has taken her sisters lead and is now taking a few steps (we've seen her take as many as 2 at a time). She also has the best balance. She'll just stand there in one stop - sometimes even clapping because she is so proud of herself.
We think she has said "momma," but I'm one of those mom's that doesn't really count every word, but rather I really want to wait until I know that's what they are saying for sure. She's also our best eater - she will eat anything and everything. She likes to shovel it in, which also makes her the messiest. Aven has been clapping for a while and recently started doing high fives - it's really cute. She also likes to play patty cake and recently started playing the "give-take" game where she gives you something and then waits for you to give it back, etc. Oh, and she is our climber - again like her brother. You gotta keep your eyes on her at all times... She likes to climb all over her sisters and just recently started sitting on her sisters. She will seriously go out of her way to sit on her sisters. It's hilarious. Here are a few pictures of her doing just this... First she's sitting on Bria and then she's sitting on Stevie. Hence the title of the blog :-)
I almost forgot one of the funniest things about Aven, she loves to dance. But it's like a booty shake dance... As soon as she hears music she will shake her little tush. It's so funny... I'll get it on video and share it later...
Bria:
Bria is still our princess... The good and the bad :-) She's often been called "needy." She loves to sit on our lap, like seriously, she can smell Andy or I walk into the house or room and she will scope you out until you sit down and then she'll make a bee-line for you. She also crawls like crazy, goes up stairs, cruises, stands and takes a few steps. She hasn't done much more walking than a few weeks ago, but I think part of the issue is that she was puking her brains out for the past week. That will make anyone not want to walk.
She is our most curious. She always discovers new things and new places she shouldn't be. Usually it involves something of Declan's. But luckily since she is Declan's "favorite," he get's over it pretty quickly. Strangely enough, even though she's our most curious, she's also our biggest scaredy cat. The vacuum or other loud noises really freak her out, but her sisters are like 'I'd like to climb that vacuum, while it's running.'
I'm pretty sure she says "dada," and tonight she said it while copying Andy saying it. So her speech is coming along too... Her and her sister Aven are partners in crime... They literally get into everything and at times have been called bullies to their little sister Stevie :( Here are a few recent pictures of Bria.
Bria and Aven, partners in crime...
Sweet smile...
Stevie:
Stevie is still our angel. The least "needy" or the most independent. She likes playing with us, but will also do something on her own. She has started to crawl and is getting pretty good at it. She hasn't quite figured out how to go over stairs, but that should happen any day now. She is getting more and more curious as well and has found her way to the areas of the house where she shouldn't be. It's nice now that she is mobile because she can hold her own with her sisters (at least when Aven isn't sitting on her).
She is still getting PT and speech therapy once a week (2 separate sessions) and I think that is helping her. She's still got a bit of work to do, but as she gets bigger I think that will help. If you look at all the things she has done, I don't think it's been that she can't do it at the same time as her sisters, I think it's just her size that's holding her back.
She absolutely loves her brother and thinks he's so funny. She could be entertained by him for hours, versus the other two could care less. She just laughs and laughs and laughs at him. It's very sweet. So she's chill, likes to smile and laugh, is happy doing her own thing and is content. I've never known a child like her :-) Here are a few more pictures - again, Stevie our angel just hanging out being a good girl...
L to R: Stevie, Bria and Aven
L to R: Aven, Stevie and Bria
Declan:
I figured I should update everyone on D-man too... Declan is doing well in school - as in we haven't had any parent teacher conferences requested of us yet :-) He continues to be the social butterfly and loves making new friends. He still has his "gang" that he hangs out with from last year and often does play-dates with them... Since he's a summer birthday we need to figure out if we will send him to Kindergarten next year. We haven't made up our mind yet, but if we don't send him, I hope he can meet friends that have just as cool of parents as the ones he has now :-) And the kids of course :-)
He started learn to skate a few weekends ago and seems to like it. Now that the girls are older and it's manageable for one person to watch them, we are getting him more involved in activities. He's still going through a bit of attachment issues, but am hopeful with getting him involved in more stuff, he'll figure out that we aren't going anywhere and we don't have to be around him 24/7. I think I mentioned before that he gets to take a mini-vaca with us at the end of next week when the three of us go to Puerto Rico for a friends wedding (also Declan's godfather). It should be fun and will be nice to be with him one on one.
I don't have any recent pictures of Dec, mostly because he rarely let's me take pictures of him. And those that I do have are him in his underwear :-) I'll get some good ones when we go on vaca!
