Baby Girl is Growing and the Catch-up Post (just keep scrolling!)

Above are the amazing pictures that my sister took of Miss Winter Pearl when she was 8 days old. I love them and am so grateful that she was able to take them. (Go ahead and checkout her other photography masterpieces here.) I have some serious anxiety this time around about how fast my baby is growing. I'm really trying to just soak it all up and hold her even if other things feel more pressing. The following are just a few of the pictures we've taken of our little weed over the past few weeks.

We ventured to church for the first time last week. Winter looked pretty darn cute in her new dress and accessories!

This is where she sleeps for 6-8 hours at a time every night. Mike thinks this swing looks like it will send her into orbit! I don't care, I like it anyway.

4 week old Winter

Now starts the back-blogging...

Mom and Dad got the kids a trampoline for Christmas and when they delivered it, my dad thought he was so funny making the kids think they were getting these really cool pvc pipes. Honestly, I'm sure they could have thought of some great uses for them.

This was when they saw their real gift.

After it was finally assembled, the kiddos and Mike tried it out in the dark.

We took our parents to see White Christmas for their Christmas gift this year. It was a super fun evening and the girls are still singing the tunes.

We picked out the perfect tree that was only crispy the second half of December :(

We celebrated my birthday at Ensign Ranch with all of my dad's family. My cake said happy birthday Princess Crystal, which my brothers really got a kick out of.

Aunt Becky provided hours of crafting. The little girls were on cloud nine.

Asher and Ryry kickin' back with a good book.

Halle and Gracie performed a little impromptu Christmas recital for the whole group. I used to love to do the same things with my cousins when I was their age. Except we gave out tickets to our shows!

It snowed our last night at the ranch. I think my kids were pretty excited.

I love this picture of Asher getting all of his great aunts to play ring around the rosie with him.

When we got home from the trip we all took a little nap. The girls opted for a quiet time instead. When we woke up, we couldn't find them anywhere. Mike was really starting to freak out when I discovered them sleeping tightly in soon to be baby's closet with the doors closed.

We attended the annual Fire Department Christmas party, which has been a tradition since I was 8 years old. Santa loves to tell my kids that I used to sit on his lap when I was little.

My niece, Kendal was in rare form that night, but was content hanging out on the concrete floor of the station.

Halle also played in her second piano recital. She played Up on the Housetop and Away in a Manger. She did awesome!

My crazy kids the Sunday before Christmas (posing next to our crispy, yet beautiful Christmas tree).

We ventured back to Ensign Ranch on Dec. 16th (yes, two days before Winter was born) for my family Christmas celebration. As tradition has it, we acted out the nativity and of course I got to be Mary.

The kids all got costumes and had a blast dressing-up the rest of the weekend. This picture of our army boys cracks me up. They look like the 3 stooges reporting for duty!

It wouldn't seem like Christmas without some fun in the snow. Does anyone else have grown brothers who still wrestle? This was Dustin and Jeremy seeking revenge on Mike.

My three "little" brothers.

My last preggo pictures, the day before we went to have Winter.

Mike had off the 23rd thru Jan. 4th which made for an awesome Christmas break. Honestly, between having a sweet newborn and having my hubby home for so long, I couldn't have asked for anything more. He took the kids to Christmas Village where they enjoyed a train ride.

We made snicker trains before Christmas. Halle hearts Bing Crosby ever since we saw White Christmas.

Asher ate most of his ingredients in the construction phase of this project.

We spent Christmas Eve with Mike's parents. Aren't they a good looking group of shepherds? (BTW, that's one of the sister missionaries sitting next to Mike, holding Winter.)

After opening Christmas jammies, Halle got everything set for Santa. Click on the picture to read her special signs/notes.

I think she wanted Santa to leave his dirty "dishes" as evidence that he actually came and enjoyed the treats. I love that girl.

Sisters

Christmas morning! Halle had asked if they could get up at 8 AM, which I told her was a great plan. She then said if she woke up early, she would just read a book until it was time. And they really did stay in bed until 8. Again, love her.

The aftermath. We didn't bother with still pictures while opening presents.

1 week old Winter
The whole day was simply exhausting for her.

Our friends, the Yeates, came to visit a couple weeks ago. They had a baby boy two weeks before Winter was born.

Freddy and Halle with matching smiles.

Ali and Haven

Asher and Henry

The whole gang which has doubled in size since we started hanging out in dental school! We love you, Yeates family!

Catherine and Aunt Marge (aka Ciera) made Winter a box full of beautiful flowers to wear on her sweet little head. We all love them, but the girls have been particularly fascinated by them.

One of Mike's projects over the break was to build a loft bed for Haven. For FHE last week, we all helped sand the wood. Don't worry, everyone was provided with eye protection. After pictures of our completed project to come.

I wore a mask when I spray painted the bed today, but some how I still ended up with paint on the sides of my nose and upper lip. Click to enlarge.

And now, I think I'm finally caught up. See, we really were alive in November and December!