Mom.  Check out this pie cake I made.

Wow.  A moment of team work.  Mom's heart jumps for joy.

It's the kite they made the day before at the festival! 

If you can't get them to sit still and smile, just work with it.  Crazy face!

For some reason, there were hundreds of washed up jelly fish.  Berlyn was intrigued, of course!

Talullah and Havanna caught mid-action throwing mud patties at dad.

Sad, but cool at the same time.

The Downey 6

 We hit up Agate Beach while in Newport.  No agates were to be found, but we thrilled to spend this gorgeous day out on the sand, soaking in the sun.  Talullah has her first sunburn, which she is not so excited about. 

Kite Festival 2014

We just got home from a four day trip to Newport, Oregon, and we sure did enjoy our family vacation!  I'll admit, I had been a little nervous about enduring a seven hour drive with the three 'big' girls and a seven week old baby.  Our little ladies were such great travelers!  Newport was a fantastic town settled right along the coast, and our hotel had direct access to the beach.  I loved the eclectic shops on Nye Beach and the paved trail just above the beach.  I enjoyed our daily trips to local drive thru coffee shops.  Our whole family had fun at the aquarium where we got to see the Sea Lions do their tricks, sharks eat their lunch, and we watched a gigantic octopus crawl across an aquarium window. 
A thirty minute drive north led us to a kite festival in Lincoln City.  It was a little chilly for my taste, but I guess there wouldn't be much kite flying without some wind, right?  Never in my life have I seen such huge kites.  My personal favorite though might have been the tiny butterfly kite we saw, probably no bigger than the size of my hand.  We watched kite demonstrations and the girls even had the chance to make their own kites.  Surprisingly, Havanna took to kite flying more than anyone.  She loved it!!!

Four weeks gone by

Little Amberlie is one month old.  She is such an 'easy' baby and we are all in absolute love with her.

These Girls

Amberlie Eden Downey

Baby girl, we were so anxious and excited to meet you, we couldn't even let you come on your own time.  A day before my due date, we went to the hospital to speed up the process.  You still kept this impatient momma waiting a long, long eight hours before you were finally cuddled safely in my arms.  You and all of your thick, white vernix blanketing your skin.  You have tiny, long fingers and little, bitty toes. You were 7.8 pounds of beauty.  In awe I cradled you, examining you from head to toe, amazed at your absolute perfection.  There's something magical about a newborn.  I would love to freeze time and rock you in my arms forever.  Yet, at the same time, your dad I look at your with anticipation and wonder.  Will you look like any of your sisters?  What will your personality be like?  What does your future hold in store for you?  My eyes cloud with joyful tears as I kiss your sweet, soft face.  Thank God for blessing us with another beautiful daughter to love and cherish and guide through life.  As a mom, I'm definitely a work in progress, constantly examining my own imperfections and hypocrisies in order to exemplify the kind of woman I hope that you will be.  But know this, my precious baby girl, while I will  inevitably say the wrong thing from time to time, and I will have to apologize to you for mistakes I will surely make, there will always and forever be nothing but love for you in my heart.  I love you with everything that I am, the same way that I love each one of your older sisters.  As our family has grown in numbers, my hearts capacity to love has increased accordingly.  You have a whole family ready to love you and ready to drive you just as crazy as we are.  Get ready.

Meet and Greet

We are incredibly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.  Amberlie has had a steady stream of visitors, and we love to have people in our lives who enjoy sharing in the joyous moments, celebrating this brand new life.

Grandma Downey was the very first to meet her.

My BFF's since 7th grade.  Emily is prego with twins, and Steph is holding her baby Dallas.  We love babies.

Nana and Papa.  You'll be spending a lot of time with these folks.

Aunt Dallass.  The baby whisperer.

Michele Kennard

Uncle Nate reading Psalm 139.

Lane Kennard said a special prayer over you.

Sheriff Downey.  AKA: Grandpa

Heather and Luke.  Luke taught his mom how to calm you down when you cry.  He's a pro.

Aunt Jojo

Uncle Seth

Brendan & Ashlee

Cousin Gillian

Cousin Hugh

Cousin Adelaide

Linda and Lily

Laboring with love. And drugs.

And then, there's Pitocin.

Still trying to pin down the name.  Amberly?  Amberlie?

4th baby.  I decided to treat myself to an epidural.  It's better than Christmas and coffee.

Is that stuff gross, or what?!  

You can't see her face.  You can't see his face.  But that is indeed Nick cutting Amberlie's cord.

We were much happier to see her than she was to see us.

Welcome to the world, Amberlie Eden Downey.

Barely an hour out of the womb and she's sucking on anything that comes near her mouth.  A binkie baby, for sure.

Tiniest little toes!

Call me crazy, but I looked MORE tired the next day.  The girls were so happy to meet their newest sister!