Bows & Bugs: June 2016

Week Two was an emotion filled week. We had signatures from the birthmother but were awaiting paternity testing. One of the potential birthfathers had signed off already... he was the one that was the most probably due to timing. However, until the other was eliminated it was very stressful with phone calls asking when they could come get the baby! Thursday we went for a drive to go see Glacier National Park. It was a positively beautiful day and it was exactly what we needed. We were intending to not have the kids come up until we had the paternity figured out... however the kids and us couldn't stand it any more. They were going crazy not seeing their baby sister! Also, we had given her a sponge bath on Wednesday before meeting and she grabbed hold of her umbilical cord!!! She ripped it half off! :(

We got right up to the gate and discovered that there was a rock slide 3 miles in! It was gorgeous there at least!!

These two cousins sure soaked up as much baby time as they could get!

Friday we hung around the house and then did some shopping... basically killing time until the kids and Nana and Papa got into Missoula! Also on Friday her Umbilical cord came the rest of the way off!!! It was still oozing and bleeding a bit since she had helped it along.

Enough pictures Mom! Baby girly you had no idea this was your last moment of quietness! You just thought you were an only child!!

Oh boy were we excited to see these guys!

It was love at first sight!!!

Saturday morning they really got to soak up some Briella time!

Goofball!

They were also very anxious to see their cousins so we went into Missoula for some play time!!

Goofy Avery!

These two are 2 peas in a pod! It is no wonder why they get along so well!

Keaton and Darcy are so much alike!! They have the same personalities and sense of humor!

Our monkeys!

This is what Briella did the entire time! She loved the Ergo!

That night we came home and did family photos. More on that in the next post!

She got her first real bath on Saturday night since the umbilical cord had come off! She loved it!! No tears at all, she was totally relaxed!

She had quite the audience!

Sunday Morning. Our first meeting with all 4 kids. It sure was special!

This girl is such a sweetheart and loves being a big sister!

We had a very busy day driving up to Kalispell for gospel meeting as well!

Monday:

Another day trying to stay busy... only with 4 kids it isn't quite so hard!! We had met up with Briella's birth aunt and uncle to go over the "what ifs" which was a very rough conversation. It left me emotionally drained. Nana and Papa headed home but then Mom decided that she needed to stay to be there to hear the outcome of paternity and be there for us either way. While I went to get Mom, Daddy held down the fort and kept all 4 kids happy!

Papa soaking up a few more cuddles!

Keaton went out and worked cows and loved every minute of it!

Tiana and Camden visited.... and then wanted to go back!

Tuesday:

The day that paternity results were supposed to get back!!! Yikes! We decided to keep busy and so we took the kids and their cousins to the indoor pool and waterpark.

Coloring a bit to pass the time.

Of course this is what she did the entire time!

Darren and Camden!

Waking up is SO hard!!!! Lots of stretching is required before the eyes open!

3/4 of the way through the kids playing, the phone rings... Paternity came back and the birthfather that refused to sign had a 0% chance of being the father!!!!!!!!!!! Which meant that the birthfather that signed off months before was the father and we had nothing to worry about! Talk about a huge weight off our chest!

Everyone had to take turns holding her again!

We made dinner that night as a farewell celebration! Daddy was showing Darcy how it was done!

This girly, oblivious to everything but happy and content with Mommy and Daddy!

Wednesday:

Daddy and Keaton headed home in the morning and we left that afternoon and split up the drive. We stopped halfway and stayed in a motel to break up the drive for Briella! We are so very lucky and thankful to have had family to stay with through every single bit of it. We love them so much and a piece of our hearts are always in Montana! They are amazing grandparents and I am so glad they got to experience this with us. We couldn't even have imagined going through all of this without them. We had a home and family which made it so much easier.