Makayla @ 9 months

 Better get this up quick, before she's 10 months ;).  At Makayla's 9 month appointment she weighed 20 lbs & was 28" long.  She grew 5 lbs and 2 inches since her surgery 3 months ago!  She is rivaling Michael in size.  Her iron was low that day, so we have to give her iron drops once a day, with a recheck in a month.

 She is smiling and laughing more.

 sorry, I couldn't choose, they were all so cute!

 She eats cheerios like a champ.  And anything else she can get in her mouth. (i've pulled out cardboard, onion peels, etc.  I only found them because she was trying to nurse, but couldn't.  so I looked in her mouth (which she hates) and there they were.  This was after I swept the floor.)

 This doesn't really show it, but she's starting to scrunch her face up like I do in a funny smirk.

 This is the first outfit we bought for her, before she was born.  I found it on clearance at Sears for $8!  It even came with a longsleeve onesie & it feels like a blanket.

 This was a rare, but special bonding time with Daddy. Feeding the bottle is rare, bonding is not.  She makes a zzzz-ckkk sound w/daddy when he "flies" her around the room chasing her brothers.  Or her mommy.

 She loves standing up next to & walking along the furniture.  Last night she cried out in her "worried" voice, so I looked at her & noticed she had both hands clutching her toy, instead of the table.  She was afraid to move.

 We bought a fireplace insert with our tax return.  We've had tons of fires because it blows the warm air out, instead of sucking it up the chimney.  It raises the upstairs temperature 3-4 degrees, but lowers the basement by atleast that much.

 She also navigates the stairs perfectly (knock on wood).  She knows how to turn around, so I don't have to watch her on the stairs anymore. (yes!)

 Michael wanted to take our picture.  This was the best of the three.  Haha-Makayla looks like an oldfashioned 'serious' picture & you can tell I'm giving him directions through my teeth.

 And then he wants his picture taken.

 Happy girl! (LOOOOVVVVEEE pink!)

Close-up of the fireplace insert.  Its very hot when there's a fire going, so we watch her close during that time.  But when there's no fire, she loves strumming the handle.

Christmas 2012

 The boys slept in a tent in Makayla's room so that they wouldn't peek at the gifts
Santa brought them, on their way up to wake us up.  The downside was they woke Makayla up before 7, and Daniel & Lindsay weren't coming until 7:30am, so we had a little waiting.  Rob set some chairs up by the stairs so no one would 'sleep walk.'

 Makayla & Christopher are wearing their new jammies

 Look what Santa left in their stockings- giant crayon banks!

 Makayla got a toy remote from Santa.  Fitting because she always wants the one we are using while watching tv.

 Ice cream anyone?

 Michael is very excited about his giant blow pop.

 We got the boys their own art sets (no arguments!)

 Makayla had to take a nap part way through, so she had more presents to open when she woke up.

 She LOVES her first doll, from Grandma & Grandpa Stephenson.  They bought it in Alaska (we have Loftus family up there too, so it is special for many reasons)  She likes to touch her eyes and hair.  We let her play with it because Grandma wants her to enjoy it, but we'll put it up when friends are over.

 Christopher got this awesome hot wheels set from Santa.  He's holding the remote that makes it go fast!

 Michael got legos & we found a tub to put them in.  On the couch you can see how spoiled I am.  I got a sewing machine!! from Santa, fleece sheets (heavenly), new slippers, tons of chocolate (all gone now :(.  My inlaws gave me a necklace and that awesome steam cleaner!! in the background, so now I actually mop our kitchen floor.  My parents gave me a long sleeve work-out shirt!! (now, if it would get above 40 degrees outside instead of 10, then I can use it.)  and digital picture frame!! (enjoyment for everyone)  

I was really excited about Rob's presents too.  Usually I can't think of what to get him, so I have him tell me or buy them himself.  This year I actually surprised him!  I got him a digital picture frame for work!  And Santa got him this little camera that is on a hot wheels car that can hook to a bike helmet & video record while you are mountain biking (or going down a hot wheels track).  His parents got him a stand that turns his bike into a stationary bike so he can exercise inside during the winter.  He's been talking about getting one of those for a while.  My parents got him a home depot gift card (he LOVES that store) & he already bought some cool things with it.

Grandparents sent the kids awesome presents too, that aren't pictured.

Now the reason for the season:

 The nativity (on Christmas eve).  Of course Daniel, Lindsay & baby Kate had to be Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus.  Makayla & I were Angels.  Rob was the narrator.  Michael was a shepard and Christopher was a wise man.

 Michael's present on Christmas Eve was huge!  We went through alot of wrapping paper trick wrapping this year.  He got Candyland & we played it while we listened to my new Christmas CD (David Archuletta).

 Christopher and Makayla opened pj's.  Rob opened a (homemade) gift card for a new suit.

 Daniel fell asleep to Simon nibbling his ear.

Family sleep party while we watched a movie (probably one of the new ones we got...Harry Potter 7 &8...oh wait, the kids didn't watch those...Horton hears a Who or the Lorax)  Isn't baby Kate so cute!

Christmas festivities

 Cute kids by the Christmas tree.

 Decorating the tree...

 Our parakeet, Simon, LOVED our wreath

 I LOVED Makayla's Christmas dress.  She's wearing the shoes I wore when I was a baby.

 I went to an ugly sweater party that was really fun.  I just sewed some toys onto a stained sweater.  The kids' reactions were funny.  Christopher was worried about the toys.  Michael thought it was 'awe-hem! how you do that?' Makayla just stared & wanted to play.

 Some fun crafts for the kids at the ward Christmas party.  The crafts had special meaning & was part of the skit.

 We now have lots of new homemade ornaments on the tree.  The boys were very excited to put them on the tree.

 Santa handed out the story behind the meaning of the ornaments.

 Michael kept wanting Santa's attention.  We thought he wanted a 'high 5' but he really wanted to shake his hand.

 Picture with Santa

 Making chocolates (thanks to Rob's mom for the kit)  Notice Rob swinging Makayla in the background.

I got some Christmas crafts at the dollar store & the boys loved painting the sun catchers (see the blue snowflake?)  The problem is that the paint fell off when it dried :/

 The first day the front runner opened from Provo to SLC, it was free, so we rode it to temple square to see the lights. (Rob stood in line for an hour and a half so we could go.  Sadly, it was mostly dark because we got on so late.)

 Lights at a crowded Temple Square

 The day of the ward Christmas party the boys ran in saying Santa was across the street!  The called him over & he came to talk to them.

 Michael was shy, but wanted to see him.

 The primary singing at the ward Christmas party (Michael wasn't suppose to go up, but we didn't realize what was going on.)

 Christopher in his school play, silly boy.

 sorry, out of order.  Chocolate suckers again.

 Slightly better face.

 Since we weren't going anywhere for Christmas (this was the first year in 3 years that none of our siblings were getting married!  but, rob's sister, Trish, and my sister, Cambrai both got engaged over the break!!) Anyways, since we weren't going anywhere, we wanted to make sure we did alot of fun things at home.  That's why this post is so long :)

 Rob took the boys sledding at Rock canyon park.

 We did the classic minivan express...in our car.  The boys liked it, but I think Christopher was a little disappointed because his friends were going on the real polar express at the heber valley railroad for $25/person.

 Our conductor loved the idea & made tickets & hot chocolate.  We hid the tickets under the dinner plates.  Michael found them first.  Then we went caroling at Rob's Granny's house w/some of his cousins.

  Then we went to the shops at Riverwoods to see the lights.  Once Michael saw Santa, he had to go say hi to him.  Luckily the wait was only 5 mins!  And there wasn't a camera, so we didn't feel bad going to see Santa w/o paying for pictures.

 Michael wanted toys and treats.

 Christopher wanted a trampoline.  (I told him earlier that if Santa brought a trampoline I was going to send it back up the chimney.  Michael said 'if you do that I'm going to punch you in the eye!')

Last we drove by the city police station, where they had lights synced with music on the radio to manheim steamroller!