Personality

I decided I wanted a record of my kids' personalities and decided there was no better time to start than now.

Leila, Age 4
Leila is such a sweet girl, always worried about if everyone is following the rules.  She loves rules and routines and things that are expected.  She does not want things to change.  She resisted going outside without a coat when the seasons changed, and even now really still wants to wear socks, even though we are firmly in summer weather.  She does like surprises however, and thoroughly enjoyed going to Dutch Village again last Saturday.  I love how her mind works, even though she is turning out to be a little bit OCD, wanting to always do things in the same manner.  She loves to hold her little brother and help take care of him and Stella.  She helps Stella take off her shoes without me asking, wipes Henry's face with a burp rag when he drools (which is A LOT), and brings me diapers/wipes/pacifiers and whatever else is needed.  She is starting to be more independent, she likes to brush her own teeth and doesn't want me to check her work other than to smell her breath (I still do).  Leila enjoys reading books, playing with play doh, doing puzzles, helping me bake, and watching TV.  She wants to be carried as much as possible, even more now that we are telling her she is getting too big.  She still takes naps most days and insists on being under covers so she wakes up with slightly sweaty hair and nap face (where you get the lines from the pillowcase or whatever on your face).  Her best friends are her cousins Paige and Norah and her sister Stella.  Her favorite food is peanut butter and jelly (she just told me this, but I would have said meatloaf or cereal).

Stella, Age 2
Stella is adventurous.  She likes to chase birds, stomp on ants and smear the sand of their anthills.  She picks up sticks on walks and hardly even cries when she skins her knee when she falls, and she falls A LOT.  Stella inherited my coordination (or lack thereof).  She loves to copy her big sister.  She likes reading books, making messes, bringing toys to Henry, and Cinderella.  She says lots of cute things, the other day she and Leila were playing together and then Leila went into a different room and Stella followed a short while later and said, "I missed you, Leila."  When Stella sees Henry for the first time in the mornings, she says, "He's so CUTE!"  Stella always says yes when she wants to get out of time out, no matter what you ask her, so if I say, "Is it nice to hit your sister?" She will say "yes" and I will need to get more creative to ask her a question she can say yes to in order to be released (I can even say, "No, it isn't, is it nice to hit your sister?" on repeat and she won't stray from saying yes).  When Stella sucks her thumb, she puts the tag of her ever present bunny between her fingers.  Sometimes to show her love, she presses the tag to my face and Henry's face (sometimes in his eye).  Her best friends are her cousins Norah and Paige and her sister Leila. Her favorite food is hot dogs.

Henry, Age 5 months
I can't wait until he is a little bit older and his personality is more defined.  He is crabbier than his sisters were, but he does give plenty of smiles and giggles.  He is starting to crawl (only a few inches at a time yet, but he is getting better all the time).  He does not like to be contained, prefers to be free on the floor as opposed to the exersaucer.  He LOVES to be held, his favorite game is peek-a-boo.