Sadie Baby

I didn't get my picture taken before I went to the hospital to have Sadie --the whole middle of the night and super fast didn't lend itself to photo opps. Plus, my focus was kind of all over the map. Still is. Jake caught this picture probably the week before Sadie was born though, and I think it pretty well sums up how I was feeling:

 A couple more post birth photos from Jake's phone:

 Oh, she's sweet alright.

 She came home, and now the adventure continues...

 She's adjusted pretty quickly to the mayhem.

Pleased to meet you!

The siblings come together.

Our Fantastic Four:

Welcome, Sadie Kay

I held out some intense hope that this baby would come early --as in a couple of weeks early. My doctor made mention of it since baby had dropped, and I grabbed that shred of hope and ran with it! So, when I was having false labor on September 9th at the adult session of our stake conference, I thought, "This is it. It has to be!" I'd never had false labor before, and it was coming in seven minute segments. But it never got more intense. Boo. We went to bed that night, and the contractions disappeared.

So I faced reality. The due date was the 17th, but I learned at my last doctor's appointment that we wouldn't go past the 19th if my doctor had anything to say about it. Which he did, obviously. I decided to stop putting off making appointments and such for my church calling and go ahead and move on with life. The baby would get here eventually. 

Jake reminded me of a deal I made with Paige while she was in the womb. I mentally sent her a message as to when she would come. I laughed and remembered that it "worked" with her, so maybe I should make a deal with this baby. I did. And it "worked". I happened to mentally mention that it would be really nice if he/she could come that night if they wouldn't mind...

We went to bed Friday night, the 13th, and I woke up with some pains late into the night --the 14th. I thought about that dumb tricky false labor and went back to sleep. I woke up again with pain and was irritated that I couldn't find a comfortable position. I went to the bathroom and realized that I really was hurting and that false labor had been much more kind. If it was false, I didn't care. I was hurting and decided I was going to the hospital regardless. I packed the overnight bag with a few more things, got a little more presentable, hurt quite a bit and noticed the contractions were between two and three minutes apart. 

"Jake, we need to get to the hospital." He sprung from sleep, called our dear friend Dee to come over. It was about 2:45am. I called Dr. Pierce, got myself to the car, and we were gone by 3:00. It felt like Jake's car suddenly had zero shock absorption, and I was taking it all. My doctor moved to a new hospital this year in McKinney, which I wasn't thrilled about since it was further away, but it's brand new, I wasn't switching doctors, and I could certainly suck it up for this baby and drive 20-25 minutes for appointments. We rolled in around 3:25, and I was immediately taken up to the labor and delivery floor by wheel chair. 

I was incredibly grateful for a very nice staff who got me taken care of quickly. The main nurse there checked to see how far along I was in labor. I was dilated to a seven or eight. Holy cow! This was happening fast. The nurses moved me to the delivery room so the anesthetist could get my epidural started while Dr. Pierce was making his way to the hospital. We did not have Javier, the anesthetist with the other three of our children, but we had to laugh when we learned he works at this hospital now, he just wasn't working that night. The odds... His counterpart was awesome and moved things along as Dr. Pierce came in to check me and break my water. Dr. Pierce started having me push. Jake and I figured it would be like it was with Paige where he'd come back a little later when my body was ready, but then we realized I was having this baby now. The anesthetist commented that he was doing his best to chase the pain, but I was moving along quickly. Chase it, dude, that's all I can ask.

Stirrups up, pushing happening, immense pressure, and it's a... GIRL!

Sadie Kay:

 That is quite a coat of vernix. And a flattering picture of me. And a lot of hair on that baby! And, and, that was fast!

 Miss Sadie came at 4:25am. One hour at the hospital and she was here. One of the nurses commented that she wished all births would be like this one because it was "fun". Well, "over quickly" was a nice thing for me, but I'm glad she had "fun".

 No surprise-- another huge child! Sadie was 10 lbs. and 3 oz. They said 21 3/4 inches long, but the nurse wasn't being very exact, and later at the pediatrician we learned she could have pulled the kid up to the top of the ruler thing. She was probably more like 21 1/4 inches. Still, classically large as I am wont to have them.

 My baby!

 Woo, woo --my shoulder.

 She's a sweet one, for sure.

 Chubby cheeks at birth --so smoochable:

My hospital stay was awesome. The staff was beyond wonderful to me. Gotta love extreme competency in health care, right? I was given a box filled with snacks, a robe and slippers, and a swaddle blanket from the hospital. After quiet time every day they had cookies and milk time! Seriously. A genius came up with that one. I stayed for two nights and was sent home with a family lasagna dinner from them as well. I was a happy patient.
Ward members were so sweet to make sure my family was taken care of while I was away, and I had lovely visitors spend time with me, both online and in person.
Then, of course, it was time to face reality, take my dear Sadie home, and come up with a new normal. We'll be working on that for a while.

First Days of School

Introducing.... our FIRST GRADER!

 She got to go shopping with Mom and pick out a new outfit for the first day of school. She was so proud of her choice and made sure to describe it in detail to everyone at church the Sunday before.
Tessa is a great mix of a rule and order loving school girl and one that is off on another planet creating, creating, creating. When she's ready for those two sides of her to meet in the middle, the kid will be unstoppable.
She's just awesome. I love this tender hearted, fun loving girl.

 A couple of weeks after Tessa started school, we finally were able to get this big boy off to.... PRESCHOOL!
He wore his backpack around the house for weeks, prepping himself for the rigors of preschool burdens.

 His teacher told me that on the first day Cole asked to use the "math computers" about four times. She asked if he was forgetful. Oh, no, my dear Ms. M. He wants a different answer and will wear you down to get it. He has tireless persistence.
We think he'd make a great salesman.

A big bonus is that he's really cute and funny.
He calls me "Mama Luna". I don't really know why. I could be called worse, so I'll happily take it.

It Doesn't Take A Lot

It doesn't take a lot to make my kids happy. A baby pool and some squirters, and they're in business. If there is water involved, they are all for it.

 I love Paige's face in this picture:

I forgot to empty out the baby pool from a few days ago when they played. Paige made her way outside yesterday to help her dad with the sprinklers but instead sat in the pool fully clothed. She was happy as a clam for about 20 minutes out there splashing with a Barbie, so who was I to take away the fun? Closer to bedtime and time for dinner, I became the person to take away the fun...

August 2013 iPhone photos/videos

You know you've made a real mess when Dad doesn't want to take you down the hall to the tub. 

Sink it is!

 I can't. Keep. Anything in one piece ---with kids around.
We have recently said goodbye to our big wooden giraffe because after so many kid related (not all mine) nose dives, I couldn't make his shard face feign wholeness. Somehow Cole broke the "Karibu" sign that hung under the Masai plate. And our latest tragedy: our muse. I refused to glue his leg on one more time. Most kids only messed with his walking stick after they'd destroyed the gourd he held, but not Paige. She loved to pick up Muse and dance with him. His old leg couldn't take it.
Oh, well. He was a bit on the foul side, with his way too short tunic and goods on display. Give me a break -- no one ever noticed!
This is me looking sad that we can't keep anything in tact. And it's one of the last pictures taken of me (end of August) before having the baby... There you go, kid!
I know nothing really lasts forever, and I am in serious need of new decor, but it's not next on the list! Hold out just a bit longer!

 Can't let a good box go to waste...

 Tessa, up until VERY recently draws girls with hair over one eye. I gently tease her about drawing cyclops girls, and she explains to me that the hair style covers one eye. I don't know where she got it. Dad was doing Tessa's hair, because he's awesome like that sometimes, when he decided to do a "Tessa girl drawing" hairstyle. She's not impressed. She's been drawing both eyes a little more lately...

Only the shortest videos will post on the blog, so we're missing some serious awesomeness on here. I am glad that we can get some stuff up now, though, where I couldn't figure it out before.

I give you "Paige dancing in front of Mama's big pregnant belly" and Tessa's "YNCA": 

Keith Noble McCune

Jake's last surviving grandparent passed away at the end of July, taken quickly by pancreatic cancer. We were incredibly fortunate to be able to travel back to Utah for the weekend of the funeral as a whole family. I was one week away from being told not to fly in my condition, so I was very grateful I could go and be a part of the funeral and family gathering. 

Here is Grandpa McCune's obituary:

Keith Noble McCune

1919 ~ 2013
Keith Noble McCune, 94, passed away peacefully on July 28, 2013. 
He was born July 15, 1919, in Ogden, Utah, to Clarence Scott and Elsie Noble McCune. 
The McCune family later moved to Salt Lake City, where Keith graduated from East High School in 1936. He loved cars and motorcycles, but his favorite hobby, since his youth, was photography. He also stayed active with golf, swimming, tennis, and skiing.
He attended the University of Utah for one year prior to leaving for Argentina on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After his mission, he had the opportunity to work in Panama for Pan American Airlines. While there he entered the military and served in Counter Intelligence for the 6th Army Air Corps. 
Following the war, he returned home and graduated from the U of U Law School. He married Mary Lue Knell, January 10, 1947, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He was employed by State Farm Insurance. Later in his career, the Insurance Commissioner appointed him to the first Board of Directors of the Utah Insurance Guaranty Association, for which he served as legal counsel for the next 40 years. 
His Mary Lue passed away in March of 1979 following a number of years of tenous health. He married Beverly Bushman Young in December of 1979. Keith often commented on the blessing of having had these two remarkable women in his life as wives and companions. He and Mary Lue had five children, and Beverly had been blessed with six in her earlier marriage. He dearly loved these two wonderful families. 
Keith was an enthusiastic member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having served in many callings including bishoprics, and stake presidencies. He was called as Stake Patriarch in 1983, where he served for 30 years, thus being allowed to fulfill a promise given him in a blessing when he was young that he would be "a preacher of righteousness" to the youth. 
Keith Noble McCune was a great man, young at heart, with an incredible wit and sense of humor, deep wisdom, a kind heart, and a giant spirit. We are grateful that he could be a part of our lives for so many years. 
He is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Lue, his son, Mark (Liz) McCune, and Beverly's son Gaylen (Lori) Young. 
Survived by his wife, Beverly, his children; Darcy (Steve) McBride, Sally (John) Hollingshead, Shannon (Lynn) Dallin, Midge (David) Baird, and Beverly's children; Julie Bird, Susie Irwin, Janie MacFarlane, Cokie (Ron) Price, Lulu (Mitch) McClellan, and many grand and great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at the Big Cottonwood Stake Center, 1750 East Spring Lane, Holladay, UT. Viewings will be held at the same location on Fri, Aug 2nd from 6:00-8:00 p.m., and Sat, Aug 3rd from 12:30-1:45 p.m. Interment will be at Larkin Sunset Lawn Cemetery, 2350 E. 1300 S., Salt Lake City, UT.

_________________________________________________________

Simone's baptism was on the same day as Grandpa's funeral. Double fortunate for us. We don't usually get to be a part of these things since we are so far away. Tessa was thrilled to be there to see her cousin get baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

We met for an awesome breakfast at Matt and Mary's house, and then headed over to the stake center.

Right after, we zoomed back to Salt Lake to get to the funeral. The church was packed. The family prayer in the viewing room surely exceeded its limit in bodies. Cole chose to have a melt down right before the family prayer over crackers, so I was having a keep the kid quiet wrestle, along with Paige, who he was upsetting, in a room where I felt like people were sitting on my pregnant self. It got a little crazy, but I'd do it again if it meant Jake was able to take the time he needed with family. Which he did. It meant a lot for him to be a full participant in everything going on, so again, I was so grateful I could be there so he didn't have to wrangle children. Cole was crying when everyone else was before they closed the casket, and Grandma and Great Aunt looked worried about him until I waved them off with, "It's about crackers." Grandpa McCune had a great sense of humor, so I'd imagine he'd appreciate the dose of kid reality in a somber situation.

Because of our over-tired bundle of children, we somehow were the last ones out of the viewing room. This meant that there didn't seem to be a seat for us in the chapel in the family section. Ummmm. It got a little awkward as we scouted out a location. Jake was supposed to sing in the program, so it really wouldn't do for us to march to the back of the whole place. We were able to split up and smash in. The funeral was a lovely tribute to a lovely man whom I adored. Among other talks and a musical number, Darcy gave a really sweet talk about her dad and Jacob and Jonathan sang a duet that was a beautiful and loving gift to their grandpa.

At the gravesite, there was an all white floral arrangement on the casket. After the services were over, colorful daisies were passed out so that grandchildren and great grandchildren could put the bright flowers into the arrangement. It was incredibly fitting.

 A couple of wards in the stake  hosted a family luncheon afterward. Cole wanted a brownie. I wanted him to stay clean:

 And then this was Paige hanging out outside, where she loves it best. The mornings were so cool. I love having the chance to soak that in before heading back to still steaming Texas.

Thanks be to God for allowing us the opportunity to get back to Utah and take part in this weekend! Everything fell into place and worked exactly how we needed.