Christmas

Christmas and everything leading up to Christmas was very enjoyable this year.  Most of the shopping was done before the beginning of December, so we got to spend Christmas time doing Christmas-y things.  Thanksgiving weekend we set up our giant Utah tree and scattered our lights so that they would stretch the height of the tree.

It is a tradition at the Butterflied house to build gingerbread houses.  Henry and Clara both participated this year.  Clara ate her house before we could put it together but she enjoyed snacking on graham crackers and icing while watching everyone else construct their masterpieces.  Henry's house was wonderfully done.  Covered in "snow" and candy with Star Wars guys surrounding to protect it.

Christmas Eve we set out cookies and tried to get a good picture of the kids together by the tree.  Most of the attempts have one or both of them in a blur.  They could hardly sit still.  This is the only one where they were both kind of in focus.  Henry was trying to keep Clara from escaping.  He is not grabbing her head.

Christmas morning was so exciting!  Santa brought Henry a big wheel and a hot wheels ramp (for the bath tub!).  Clara also got some bath toys and a soft owl rocker that sings songs and has squeaky ears.  They made out from family with lots of fun toys that have proven to stick around.

It was a nice Christmas.  Very quiet and enjoyable.  Nothing like Christmas with little kids around to make it exciting and magical!

Fun At Grandmas House

The kiddos are lucky and get to go to Grandmas house where they have Grandma, Grandpa, and lots of Aunts to play with.  It is like kid heaven over there.  They get to play all kinds of things and have so many people to take turns doing those fun things with them.  For your picture viewing pleasure:

9 Month Clara

December 6th

Height: 26.5 in
Weight: 15.32 lbs
Head: 18 in

This month was a big month for you.  You learned a lot of things!  This month you said "bye bye" and "mama".  You say 'dadada" a lot and you started with that but I am not sure if you actually mean Daddy or if it's just a sound you make.

You pulled yourself up and now you like to stand holding on to things.  One night I stood you up and let go of your hands and you stood on your own for a few seconds.  You were really standing, not just balancing or controlling a fall.  You are good at sitting yourself down in a nice controlled way.  You are a good crawler now.  You started just a few weeks ago and now you're all over.

You met your uncle Caleb this month.  We drove to Oregon to see him when he got home from his mission in Brazil.  You had fun playing with all of your Dixon family and exploring GiGi's house.  It was while you were there that you stood up so well.

You started clapping this month.  Now you clap for everything that you approve of.  Any time you get excited, you clap.  I sit you in your high chair and you agree that it's time to eat, you clap.  Henry comes over to play with you, you clap.  You say something funny or something that you're proud of, you clap.  I love your clapping!  You are such a happy baby so we see a lot of clapping these days.

This month was your first Thanksgiving.  You are moving on to normal foods, instead of the pureed stuff, so you got to eat a little bit of table food for Thanksgiving.  Since that day you have really moved on to more normal foods.  You ate about 1/4 of a can of green beans all on your own.  You love eating what everyone else is eating!

To go along with your new found foods, you have a tooth!  Your 1st tooth came in on the 4th.  Just before your 9 month birthday. 

End Of Some Baby Sweetness

December 4, 2014

Today was a big day for Cara.  She cut a tooth!  Her bottom right tooth is her very first tooth.  You can barely see it unless you look really close, but it is there.  

Clara likes to give me kisses on my chin.  She puts her whole mouth around my chin and makes an "Mmmaa" sound.  Kisses did evolve into teething on my chin and jaw but it's a sweet Clara thing.  Sadly this new tooth development has to end.  Time to teach her a new way of kissing.

Caleb Comes Home

Henry, Clara and I carpooled with Emily and Rubye to see Caleb come home from his mission to Brazil.  We made it all of the way from Utah to Portland in ONE day without any MAJOR melt downs and we didn't even leave Provo until maybe lunch time.  AMAZING, if I do say so myself!

We got into Portland pretty late, but the next morning we were up and ready to pick Caleb up from the airport and head straight to the temple.  It was fun to see Caleb coming off the plane.  Henry and Rubye each had balloons to play with while they patiently waited for their long lost uncle to walk their way.

We got to visit for a for most of a week.  Mostly just watching movies, chatting, Henry discovering Nintendo 64 Star Wars games, that kind of thing.  It was fun to have everyone together and to visit with Caleb!