What a Life: Lots of updating from the past month.

Okay, where do I start. I will start with the beginning of June! In due fashion, my labor did not follow the traditional rules. I went in at 37 weeks for my OB apt. and was not dilated or effaced at all. I had made some progress at that point with all other 3 kids, so I was a bit discouraged and getting anxious. At 38 weeks, I went in and was 4 cm dilated and fully effaced...and slightly uncomfortable. That was a Friday. I had contractions through the weekend, but still worked at church on Sunday. I went in for an OB apt. on Tuesday, June 7th and was 6 cm dilated. My Dr. sent me over to L & D (which was across the hall from her office) so I waddled my way over. It took a couple of hours to get me hooked up and in a bed. There was no rush, since I wasn't in active labor, despite being 6 cm. I called Chad and he came up to the hospital, but I told him to go home and help with the kids since I was just hanging out in my bed and I would call him when things got interesting. My Dr. came in around 9:30 to break my water, so Chad did come up a few min. before that. Within 15 min. of breaking my water, I dilated from 6cm to 10cm. My Dr. had gone home, assuming it would be at least an hour or two, so she had to rush back up, while I just sat there and waited....which wasn't bad at all. She came in, I pushed through one contraction and was SHOCKED to find out we had a girl!!!! Chad had kept it a secret from me and Kiley for 6 months! The labor and delivery were both so short and easy. The recovery was not as easy because of a third degree tear and some serious stitches. After a week though, I felt healed for the most part. Kiley was in bed when Chad got home and she asked what we had in the morning. He told her a boy, of course. :) She came up to the hospital and said she was happy to have another brother, but really wanted us to have a girl. I then pointed to the baby's isolette and the sign that read "it's a girl" and Kiley was thrilled. She stayed up at the hospital with me and held her sister even after everyone else had gone home. We named her Cheyenne Isabella and we are sooo excited to have her! Cheyenne weighed 7 lbs 2 oz at birth, but dropped to 6 lbs 5 oz a couple days later. She is now up to 7 lbs 5 oz and perfectly healthy, eating well, sleeping as well as to be expected, and soooooo cuddly and sweet. The only time we hear her cry is when she is starving. Chad and I have finally, after 4 kids, figured out how to work effectively as a team. I get up with Cheyenne at night all 7 days of the week, unless it's a particularly rough night. Chad gets up with all of the kids on Sat. and Sun. mornings around 6:30am-early risers-and I sleep in as late as I need to, but I haven't slept in past 7:30am yet. Chad offers to help M-F, but he has an important job and needs to be well rested and able to be productive and efficient during the day. He comes home and most evenings after we put the kids to bed, he works on finishing our basement-so, he is just as exhausted as me. So far, so good. I also know this is our last baby (Chad is not so sure about this) and I am appreciating the one on one time that Cheyenne and I get at night.

Cheyenne is almost a month old and I can't believe how fast it's gone. I am sad that it's gone by so fast and hope it's not an indication of how fast her first year will go by.

For the 4th of July, we kept it pretty low key. We worked on the basement most of the day and then went next door for a BBQ and fireworks. Creighton loved them, Cort was scared of them and cried the entire time until we took him inside to watch a movie, and Cheyenne slept through the entire show. I can't wait to get our cabin and be able to spend the 4th on the lake with family. The basement is moving faster than expected. Chad has done all the work himself. He framed the entire basement and is now running electrical, installing appropriate plumbing and mechanical and then we will call for our first inspection before August, hopefully. I am really, really impressed with how skilled Chad is. I have always been so impressed with his talent as an architect, but he is so smart and can figure out nearly anything whether it be car repairs or electrical work. I am smart too, but I know that if I were to try to figure out electrical, I would start a fire and nothing would work.

Here are some pics from the past month.

Daddy with his baby girl, who has already stolen his heart.

Baby Cort playing outside. It's so nice to be able to take Cheyenne out on our porch (which is covered so she doesn't get any sun) and just sit and watch the kids play.