milestones

Lovely
Height: 30.5 inches, 87%
Weight: 22 lb 4 oz, 68% --hands down, our smallest baby!
New achievements:
-traversing quickly and confidently.  still crawling at lightening speed (her occasional "peg-leg" crawl is adorable). can free stand for a good length of time and has taken one or two steps at a time but seems to be holding off on actually walking.  like many things lately, she seems determined to let us know she is her own person.  Perfectly sweet but independent, mischievous and completely in control of everything.
-I love her babble and squealing.  her vocabulary is still very limited because even though there are words we've heard her say at least once or twice, it's usually only once or twice.  but she's incredibly expressive with her face and hands (my favorite is her grasping reach when she wants someone/something).  she also signs "more".
-she loves to climb!  she has mastered the stairs both up and down but is still easily distracted so I have to watch her like a hawk.  she also loves to climb onto stairs, the fireplace, into the dishwasher, etc.
-she sleeps 12 hours solid every night (and has for months).  she is without a doubt, the best sleeper in the house.  she sleeps much more soundly than her sisters did and loves to cuddle in her sleep.  Her sisters were "stinkbug" sleepers at this age but Lovely seems to prefer being stretched out.
-we moved her into a forward facing carseat and she sang and babbled the whole way home.  and then cried when I put her in her old carseat again.
-so far she only has her bottom two teeth (very different from her sisters who both had a full set by now.  Butterfly even had her molars already).  Teething seems much more drawn out and bothersome for her.  She's much more fussy and sensitive than I remember her sisters being and the teeth take much longer from when I first notice them to when they actually break the surface.  She's currently working on both eye-teeth (has been for at least two weeks and I suspect will be several more).
-she dances. mostly when sitting in her high chair or when standing, holding herself up.  When encouraged, "dance!" she grins, ducks her head and rocks out, alternating her shoulders and throwing herself side to side.
Favorites:
-zero interest in tv.  instead when in the playroom, she heads straight for the art easel to play with (and scatter) the magnetic letters or so the play kitchen to play with (and scatter) the plastic food.  she's also discovered the little slide/swing unit and climbs all over it. or she attacks the basket of puzzles so she can teeth on the cardboard pieces. also loves the mega blocks and music table.
-she LOVES the swings at the park and will audibly giggle the whole time.
-favorite foods are bananas, yogurt bites, pancakes, cherry tomatoes, marshmallows and ice cream.  so far, she's my pickest eater.  not because she has limited tastes but because she's very demanding in what and when she eats.  For example if I bring a new food to the table, she will refuse to finish whats on her tray and only wants the new food.
favorite moments:
-when I put her down for a nap, I wrap a blanket around her and she tucks her knees up.  We cuddle into her chair and she nestles down into my arm and suddenly my fast growing almost toddler feels like a tiny baby again.  She drinks her bottle and drifts off to sleep peacefully, with an angelic and serene glow.
-when Daddy gets home, the girls and I have a long standing tradition of racing to him and showering him with excited hugs and kisses.  We hear the door open and race off, usually leaving Lovely behind.  She scampers after us, hurrying to Daddy as fast as she can, squealing for her own round of kisses and demanding to not be left out.


Ladybug
Height: 40.5 inches, >97% - our tallest girl
Weight: 33 lb 6 oz, 75% - with only 10% body mass index which means she is solid muscle!
New achievements:
-potty trained!  it's been slow and generally awful with accidents nearly everyday and no ownership/initiation from her.  But last week, we seemed to have turned a corner and without any specific trigger that we know of, she is doing great.  She initiates and stays dry all day, has good understanding and its suddenly not a problem anymore.  And she's very, very proud of her panties, announcing them to pretty much every person we met.
-she loves school and is doing fantastic.  she thrives on getting to be a special helper (both at school and at home) and has become increasingly helpful and cooperative.  she's still stubborn and mischievous but so wonderful.  She's sweet and good and I'm crazy about her.
-she loves dance class, still bouncing off the walls excited but settling into the expectations and rules of class.
-she knows her letters, most of their sounds, the colors, most shapes and we are working on numbers
-sleeps great through the night, still naps every day (love naptime!)
-she's my little dancer.  put on some rock music and she can jam and wiggle all day long.  it's hilarious and has me quite concerned about her teenage years already.
Favorites:
-foods: she's my bottomless pit and eats everything we give her, particularly fruit, ramen noodles, cheeseburgers and will eat anything dipped in ranch or sour cream.
-color: purple
-toys: her hair style salon, books, character figurines
-characters: Tiana, Rapunzel, Mickey
-loves movies and rotates favorites, especially Bolt, Rapunzel, Tiana, Ariel, Winnie the Pooh, TinkerBell, Alvin and the Chipmunks
-tv shows: Yo Gabba Gabba, Sesame Street, SuperWhy, Leapfrog Letters
other favorite activities: coloring pictures, going for a popsicle walk, reading books, calling Daddy/Grammy on the phone, helping Daddy in the garage, swimming
-sidekicks: Yellow and Panda (of course.  but recently noticing less attachment during the day to them. they aren't involved in every game and playdate but are reserved for movies and bedtime now).  Bebug (her crazy ladybug stuffed animal), her cell phone (my old cell phone that broke) and a stack of books.
favorite moments:
-our one-on-one moments, she gives the best cuddles, holds my hand when we walk and talks to me with lengthy sentences that I don't hear very often.
-She's her big sister's little shadow, always eager to play whatever sister suggests and yet completely independent and determined to do things her own way.
-She delights in being "mommy's Ladybug".  If I use another nickname, she is insistent, "no! mommy's ladybug!"

Butterfly
New Achievements:
-she's my budding artists and draws beautiful pictures everyday with realism and clarity and bright colors.  she also will fill a whole page with letters and then read me the "story" she wrote.
-doing great with her assigned chores.  she helps set the table, unloads the silverware from the dishwasher and keeps her room clean, including making her bed.
-turning into a great storyteller.  she tells long rambling "once upon a time" princess stories with dramatic flare and animation.  She makes up wonderful songs to sing to the baby, usually something about "my heart" or Heavenly Father or "dreams come true".
-she loves dance class and seems to have a knack for it.  she takes it very seriously and is a studious, graceful student.  after class, she's always eager to demonstrate what she learned.
-doing great at school, eager to learn to read and is working on sounding out words
Favorites:
-foods: fish, grilled zucchini, mushrooms, "smashed 'tatoes", fruit and any form of dessert/candy.  She's definitely a slow eater and is almost always the last one finished with her dinner.  She meanders though a meal, more interested in talking than eating.
color: pink
toys: princess dolls, tea party set, her razor scooter, dress up clothes
characters: Belle and anyone/anything princess, TinkerBell, Barbie
movies: Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted
tv shows: Shaun the Sheep, Angelina Ballerina, My Little Pony
other favorite activities: playing pretend (princess/family/doctor/school/chef/fighting badguys), sidewalk chalk, playdates, helping me cook, reading books, puzzles
sidekicks: a little tin case with flavored chapsticks and increasingly present is some kind of jewelry.  I've discovered her habit of hiding items under her pillow, usually a favorite little toy, a picture, book, sticker or some kind of trinket.
favorite moments:
-she wakes up from her nap before her sisters and comes to the office where I am usually working.  She settles herself at Daddy's desk and diligently and studiously draws me a picture.
-She dotes on her baby sister and loves to help her by telling her stories or singing songs to her.