A Picture is Worth 1000 Words . . .

Not much else going on . . . just thought i'd add some recent pics. Happy Valentine's Day!

Where is your belly button, Brady?

Gavin is super sporty!

Just dragging a couple of friends around . . . Aidan

Brady goes in for the kiss . . .

Aidan rides Gavin like a horse - giggles ensue!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Here are just a few of my favorite things:
Reading:
Curt had a work meeting the other night and had to leave just before we were putting the boys down. He was able to slip out without lots of fussing while I began reading to all three of them on the couch. Gavin was on my lap and Brady was on my right and Aidan on my left. After I had read a couple of books, Gavin wanted off my lap to flip through a book himself. Brady IMMEDIATELY got up and positioned himself on my lap to get read to. it was SO SWEET. After reading a couple of books, AIdan then tried climbing over his brother onto my lap. Brady wasn't budging so I just put Aidan on my other leg and everyone had to share. I also love that when one of the boys has a book they want you to read to them, they will sidle up to you and then scootch their bottom toward you until they are cozied up against you in perfect reading position. :)

Gavin likes climbing!

Kisses:

All three boys are on a kissing spree! Brady is probably the most prolific initiating kisses with his brothers when they are crying, reading, playing, whatever. He and Aidan also like to kiss animals in books - dogs, cats, ducks, whatever animal looks like it is fun to kiss. Gavin has begun giving his sweet, WET, open-mouthed kisses when you pick him up and it of course makes him LAUGH! After taking some of the shots on this post the other night, Aidan and Brady spent about 5 minutes looking at the pictures on the camera screen and then KISSING it over and over again making a "MMMMWAAAA" sound.
Brady gives Rosie love (Schellenberg's dog)

Learning what they need:

Tonight during the bath, Brady was beginning to have trouble toward the end of the bath. He pushed his brothers a bit, began crying after he tried to eat one of the tub crayons and Curt pulled the piece out of his mouth and just all around was DONE. Curt said "Are you done, Brady? Do you need to get out of the bath?" (because to be honest, WE were done!) and Brady sat there for a moment, then stood up and put his arms out looking up at Curt. It was SO NICE for Curt to be able to take him to get lubed up, diapered and PJd since that was obviously what he needed. There were no tears, screaming, etc AND his brothers got to continue to play without being pushed, cried at, etc.

Gotcha, Aidan!

Bed time:

Now, our boys are GOOD SLEEPERS. I mean, really good. It's gotten to the point that after we have done the nighttime routine (baths on bath night, teeth, books, etc) we will say "Who's ready for bed? is it bedtime?" and like a WHIP has been cracked, all three will get up from what they are doing and begin heading down the hall! sometimes they want to be carried, but more often than not they are just as happy to walk themselves down the hall. I just LOVE it. even though those are the times I most want to keep them with us and snuggle them even more than we already do. the other night about a half hour after we put them down we could hear some noise from their bedroom. I headed down the hall and as i was listening at the door i can hear Brady and Aidan LAUGHING up a storm! Making noises with their voices, wiggling around their cribs, etc. I can also hear gavin kind of sighing, but obviously well on his way to sleepytown. I couldn't help but laughing thinking of them entertaining themselves in there . . . i can't WAIT for night's before christmas, school, birthdays, vacations when they will be in their bedroom excited and doing exactly what they did that night . .. remind me of this post when that happens. :)

Hey there, Brady . . .

Eating:

Now, our boys are GOOD EATERS. Really. Occasionally one will decide he doesn't like a certain texture for a few days, but then they will eat it later without any fuss (except GAvin and Cheese since his first seizure - really, that is when he suddenly seemed to decide he does not like any kind of cheese. do you think the cheese loving part of his brain was affected?). Anyway, i am trying my hand at some occaisional baking and I made chocolate chip cookies over the weekend. Now, i'm no baker, but these were damn good. Gavin was at the store with Curt and Brady and Aidan were "helping" me in the kitchen. Brady says his version of cookie ("Ga-goo" - we still try to teach him the real word) over and over again after his first bites. Aidan looks like he is in black face from his nose down he has so much chocolate melted on his face. When Gavin got home and got his cookie he laughed the entire time he ate it. They behave much the same way with butternut squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, shepard's pie, home made mac and cheese, cherries, grapes, blueberry or banana pancakes . . . you name it. it's so great to see them enjoying such simple and important things in their lives.

PS Funny story alert: Aidan is afraid of more than his shadow. Tonight, the boys had tacos for the first time (well, the meat and cheese and tortillas, just not all at the same time). Curt had warned against giving them too much in case it activated their digestive systems way more than we wanted. About half way through dinner Aidan passes some WICKEDLY loud gas. he gets the MOST concerned look on his face and begins to make his scared cry. He then toots again, and again, the scared cry. Curt and I are practically in TEARS we are laughing so hard. He then gets distracted eating more, laughing with Brady, etc. Then a couple of minutes later - WICKED toots and the scared cry again. Yes, Aidan is afraid of his own farts. And yes, it was Curt's turn for diapers :)