Cedar City 1

I love Cedar City in the fall. It's nice and cool and beautiful.
So Tom and I packed up the kids and spent the week hanging out.
We had a great time. Tuesday we took all the kids to a pumpkin patch.
We fell in love with their dog.
Went on a fun tractor ride.
Talin & Baylee (below)
Our ancient tractor.
My cool camera effects. Have no idea how this picture happened.
Stopping for a quick feed.
Tom and Caleb.
Talin's perfect pumpkin.



Crew found his!
Talin collecting pumpkins for his younger brother & sister.
Collin finally finds his.

Baylee and her perfect pumpkin.

Two Months Today

It really does goes fast.

Already two months?
She went for the official check-up today. 11 pounds, 22 inches.
That's normal right? Apparently it is.
She's incredible.
Super alert, really strong, already holding herself up on her stomach as well as a four month old, according to the doctor.
I know it's ridiculous but I'm amazed at what she does everyday. I'm amazed at how healthy and happy she is. We really are lucky.
And so are these boys. Collin has already proclaimed her queen (which dethrones me, but I'll step aside for her), with a royal binky and all.

Collin & Tatum

Talin & Tatum

Caleb & Tatum

Blessing Day

Boy.
Girl.
I didn't think it mattered.
But it did.
And I'm glad.
Because I wouldn't trade her for the world.
Who would have thought.
A little girl is what I've always needed.

Tom had the privilege of blessing her in church on Sunday.
And we were grateful to the family and friends that were able to come participate.

Grandma Chambers and Tatum.

Evan, Collin & Davyn
Talin, Aidan & Caleb
The boys after church on the way to my house for food!

My sweet girl.

The family.
I have to say that I feel so blessed that they all belong to me, a little overwhelmed at my inadequacies to raise them all, but wonderfully blessed to be given the opportunity.

Isn't she gorgeous?
She was very worn out after the long day.

Grandma Cyndee & Tatum.
I'm so blessed and grateful for her sweet little spirit in our home. I never would have thought that she is what we've been missing to make our family complete.
What a great feeling.

More Monet

She's getting so big so fast. I'm not used to it. We enjoyed Caleb in a newborn state for the first eight months!

I am proud to say that she is our first child to make it through the first month of life with no medical emergency! Don't you just want to kiss those cheeks!

We're kind of in love.

Caleb kept screaming at Tom to hold him while cooking dinner. Tom needed both hands. My solution to use the baby carrier didn't exactly work.

But it was damn funny.

Miss Monet

Still not real. Did I really grow this little person inside me and now she's mine? For some reason this pregnancy and birth and baby has seemed more surreal than any of the others. The others were taken in stride, crazy medical stride and all. She seems more like a miracle, did my body really grow her, her little spirit and identity forming inside me.
Maybe it's because she's the completion of our family, so I'm taking more time to contemplate the process. And to feel more gratitude for her, sleepless nights and all.

First bath.

Talin and Tatum.

He adores her and has the patience to go with it.

She inherited my snarl, and that's not a good thing.

This photo session was cut short when she peed all over.

Surprisingly gentle with his little sister, I didn't have high expectations for their relationship, but it's going great so far.

First day of school for Talin and Collin was yesterday. I can't believe how tall and old they are. Talin is in fourth grade and Collin is in second, it's crazy.

I love this picture. And I love my little family and feel such a completion with these four, and that is truly a blessing.

Baby Tatum

I was suppose to go in to be induced Thursday night, but they were booked with ladies going into labor so I kept getting pushed back. Finally falling asleep at 10:30, waiting for my hospital phone call.
11:30 pm-my phone rings and it's the hospital telling me to come in.
12:00 am- we get to the hospital, wait in the waiting room, register, all the fun stuff.
12:45 am- my IV is in, my pitocin started and we wait.
1:05 am- Dr. Durfee comes in and asks if I'd like my water broken. Yes! She checks me, I'm at a six, and she breaks my water at 1:10 am.
At this point I'm not really contracting and we're just dosing and watching tv. Within five minutes of her breaking my water the contractions from hell start.
I can manage to breath through the first two contractions, but then I start to cry and whimper like a baby.
Tom and I are alone in the room at this point and I beg him to get me an epidural. Screw going natural. But I know it's too late because I can already feel her coming out and I know there is no going back. Tom calls for the nurse who comes in to "check me", yea right, baby is practically crowning. So Dr. Durfee comes in just in time to deliver while I writhe and cry and refuse to put my feet up in the stirrups, try to leave the room, try to curl up into the fetal position. It's quite embarrassing. I think I slowed her down by just not opening my legs, I was insane.
1:31 am -she was officially born. It was the fastest, craziest birth ever. 0-60. I didn't expect to go from no contractions to holding my little girl in 20 minutes.
Looking back I'm glad I went natural, but I'm even happier that this is my LAST baby and I never have to do that again.
Going home from the hospital. They released us Friday afternoon. Kind of crazy, we were there for less than 24 hours. I guess when it's your fourth they assume you know what you're doing. I was happy to get home for sure.
Getting washed up from the nurse. She was pretty gunky, they don't think she was full-term. Seriously? I don't know how much I believe that one, she was huge.

Tatum & daddy.

Aren't they cute?

Sorry, these are in no particular order.

Getting her hair washed.

Meeting the boys.

Caleb has been surprisingly good with her. He doesn't want to hold her, but he's very interested in helping out to dress her hold her hands and feet.

The old pros. Can't believe how big they are. And there have been no uncomfortable nursing comments, I guess they knew what to expect.

Meeting Grandma Cyndee.

Believe it or not I didn't pose them for this picture, which makes it that much cuter.
Wouldn't you love to be that adored?

She's here!

She is finally here! She was born this morning at 1:31. She weighs 8lbs 2 oz and is 19.75" long.

Tonight's the night baby!

She's gonna be huge, and hopefully she's gonna be born tonight.

Weight guess:
Tom-8.3
Me-9
Cyndee-8.6

I should be at the hospital birthing like right now, but I'm not. They were super busy and I've been pushed back to 7:30/8:00 tonight.
I blame Talin.
My prophetic child proclaimed last week that she was going to be born on the 22nd. He just might be right.

39 Weeks-Tomorrow

Holy hell.

I'm walking around in this body, not MY body mind you, but this body that belongs to HER, shocked and dazed that I'm still pregnant.

STILL PREGNANT.

This is a record for me. And of course the longest pregnancy has to be accompanied by the most
miserable/painful pregnancy of my life.

SHE has taken over. And she is more stubborn than me, which is quite a feat.

I've been dilated to a three since at least 36 weeks. No way I'll go past 38 weeks is what they say. But 38 weeks has come and gone and I'm dilated to a five, fully effaced and fully confused.

How can I still be pregnant?

Thank goodness the misery has a promised end this Thursday. This Thursday at 5:00, in the afternoon, I'm still trying to be okay with the time frame here, but I'm honestly not. Today would be a better day. I thought July 2nd sounded like a fabulous birthday for the girl. I have to admit I was nervous she'd come on the 7th, which is claimed by me, and I'm not great at sharing MY day. And then 7-11-11 sounded super awesome to call HER day, but she refused to come. Then I set my heart on the 16th, a shared day with Aidan who was baptized. She was a no-show. I've tried everything, well Tom has helped in trying everything. Still she hangs out, snug inside me. But the time has come and she has definitely worn out her welcome.

Pray I go tonight. Tom prays for my patience and comfort, I think prayers are better for her imminent arrival.

Happy 4th of July!