1 month old!

1 month old!

Hi!  One month old already! Time is flying by with sweet Kacie.  I want it to slow down!  I am seriously cherishing every minute I get to snuggle her, hold her, feed her, etc.  There's nothing better than a newborn to snuggle and when I hold her I just try to savor it all!
The first month has gone pretty well!  Kacie eats like a champ!  She nurses for about 7-8 minutes on one side every 2 - 2.5 hours usually.  The other day we gave her her first bottle of breastmilk and she chugged 3 ounces in 5 minutes!  So thankful that she eats well! And her weight proves it!  At her 1 month Dr. appt, she weighed 10 lbs. 7.5 ounces and looks like a two month old apparently!  :)  She's super tall at over 23 inches long - in the 99.6 percentile! The Dr. said I will probably have another Addison!
She's been sleeping really well too!  She was waking around 1:30ish and 4:30ish every night and then lately she's been going from 10p.m. to 4:30 or even 8 p.m. to 3:30!  I'll take that! :)  It's so nice that the night feedings are usually only 30 minutes instead of an hour and a half each like I was used to with the girls!  The other night however, she slept from 10 til 4 and then was WIDE awake and up for the day at 4 a.m.  That's why I love me some coffee! :)
Kacie is definitely a baby that knows what she wants.  She will scream her head off if she has a wet diaper.  You change it and then she's happy as a clam.  :)  She also loves to be held and usually by me :) and rocked to sleep with her nuk and cozy blanket.  She's a fan of her swing...and doesn't mind her bouncy seat until she starts slipping out of it. :)  She loves to be held upright...and would sleep for days on your shoulder if you let her. :)  She's been heading to the mall with me a few times to do Christmas shopping and she does GREAT!  It's so fun having a little buddy with me as I shop.  I love her so much and still can't believe I get to have her!
Her big sisters have done pretty good with her new addition to our family. :)  At first I think it was a little trying wondering why most of my time was spent with Kacie..but now we are getting into a routine and they know more of what to expect. :)  I am so thankful for my sweet big girls though as they are very helpful with her.  It's so nice that they will run and get me a diaper, her pajamas, water while I nurse, whatever.  They also love holding her and run to put her nuk in her mouth any time she cries.  They also do a great job holding her and get pretty confident too.  :) They really do great with her and are very protective.  The girls do not love her crying though and tell me to "Just feed her Mom!" all the time. :)  They love kissing her good bye before school and kissing her good night before bed.  Each night, Kacie takes a turn laying in one of their beds while we read the Bible. We do lots of rotating who holds her, who gets to change her diaper, who gets to hold the diaper bag, who gets to push the stroller, etc.  Needless to say, she is LOVED! :) A lot! :)
Everyone seems to say "How is it with ONE baby? It must be so easy for you!"  And I will say it is definitely different this time around!  I LOVE having triplets though and I am so thankful to be able to have a singleton too!  Here are some differences that I am getting used to:
 - The night time feedings are SO much shorter!  I'm only up for 30 minutes at a time instead of an hour and a half each time which consisted of nursing two babies and then pumping afterwards every. single. feeding!  She usually nurses on one side for like 7-8 minutes.  She's a champ!
- shopping carts - how in the world do you buy anything with an infant car seat in there?  I never went anywhere with the girls until they were like 6 months old and I definitely didn't bring them grocery shopping as infants!
-feeding on demand.  The girls were on a schedule since they were born so I am completely clueless as to how feeding on demand works!  I get tempted to put her on a schedule but then I love that she doesn't HAVE to be on a schedule either because it's just one baby!  I do think it's trickier figuring out what she wants at first though since it's not as predictable not being on a schedule.
-Rocking a baby!  I LOVE being able to snuggle and rock her any time and as long as I want!  She is totally going to be spoiled as I never want to set her down.
-How many diapers do I buy for one baby?  With the girls I could go to Sam's and buy a couple of huge boxes of size 1 and then I'd still run out...but with Kacie I keep having to run back to the store to buy more because I don't want to buy too many!
- I didn't know that full term singletons don't need to take the iron stinky vitamins!  So that's a nice change...and she's not on any medicine!
-I was also shocked in the hospital that she didn't have to pass a carseat test to go home and that we didn't have to do an infant CPR class or anything.  They just trusted us!  Couldn't believe it!
-I have more time to get her dressed in fun clothes!  With the girls - they just lived in sleepers because they were quick and easy! But with Kacie I can mess with putting on an undershirt onesie, (never did that with the girls) with tights, with headbands, tutu's, haha - doesn't matter!  She is a little doll!
-And...I don't feel famous in public anymore!  So nice not to have to avoid eye contact with people and to not have random people ask to take your picture! haha!
It is so different and so great.  I am cherishing every moment!  Feeling SO SO thankful this holiday season!!

 She is very alert usually in the morning for an hour or two and then usually in the later afternoon for a while.  :)

 The girls were begging to have a sleepover with Kacie too since they always get to have "sleepovers."  This doll crib was made for me by my Grandpa Kalsbeek when I was a girl...:) So sweet!  The sleepover lasted about 10 minutes.  :) Haha

 Em is pretty good at holding her and is so cute when she's crying.  She'll go pick her up and say "What's the matter Kacie? Did you need some sister time?"  Then start rocking her....LOVE that they get to experience being older siblings!  I know I loved being the oldest!  Someone said that if there is a bigger than 5 year gap between kids that first born tendencies start over.  So technically we kind of have a family of all first borns!  Ryan and I...and the girls are all kinda first borns when compared with Kacie...(even though Addison DOES definitely act like a first born) :) .... and then if Kacie acts like one too!  Crazy!

 We wanted to have some one on one time with the girls since it's been a bit of a transition for them.  So Ryan went Christmas shopping with Hailey and to lunch....Grandma Kathy had Addison for the day and Addy got to help cook and prep for Thanksgiving which she loves to do.  And I took Em (and Kacie) to lunch, some Christmas shopping, and then to a pottery store. One on one time is such a treat and it definitely doesn't happen enough!  Love you Em!

Kacie meets Santa for the first time!  Still can't believe we have FOUR girls!  

 Grandpa and Grandma and their 6 granddaughters! Nuts!

 Hailey getting her hair pulled by her little sis. :)

 Sweet sister Addy...

 Em and Kacie

 Hailey and Kacie - they love her!

Kacie Jane!!

Sweet Kacie Jane is here!!!  And we are in love!!!!

We were able to meet Kacie on Thursday, October 30 at 4:27 p.m. She weighed 8 lbs. 9 oz (!) and was 21.5 inches long.  She is everything we hoped and prayed for and we love her so much!!  

I was SOOO anxious and ready to meet this girl I can't even tell you.  The last two weeks were torture emotionally!  Since we had gone to the hospital at 38 1/2 weeks contracting 2-4 minutes apart all night...I thought she was coming!  So then when we got sent home because I wasn't progressing past 3 cm, I was so bummed and then SO READY for her to get here!  She was just way too cozy in there and didn't want to come out even though I continued to have stronger contractions for the next two weeks.  It was so confusing to know when to go in and when to stay home as the contractions were definitely different than the Braxton Hicks ones I had had the entire pregnancy.  

At 39 weeks, I was 4 cm and nearly 100% effaced so my Dr. said it was looking very good that I could have a VBAC which I so hoped I could experience! So, even though it's not ideal to induce labor for a VBAC, he thought it would be okay to "gently" do so since I was already dilated so far. 

So, on October 30, Ryan and I went in at 6:30 a.m.  Here I am at 40 weeks and 2 days!

 They started the Pitocin around 7:30 and then the Dr. broke my water around 9 a.m.  Contractions started picking up at 9:30 a.m.  They weren't bad at first and reminded me of what it felt like to labor with the girls.  (I labored to 10 cm with them and then had to have an emergency C-section).  But then once I got to 6 cm, things started to get HARD!  I was in a lot of pain, way more than I remember with the girls.  SO much pressure and pain.  It was crazy!  I knew I needed an epidural as the nurse said water breaking and pitocin make the contractions a lot worse.  Apparently!!  So at 7 cm they gave me an epideral but it did not work!!!  At this point I was like HELP!!!  The nurses were confused because it was only numbing my legs and not my stomach! They kept trying to figure out the problem and finally by 9 cm, it started to work!  HEAVEN!!  Then it wasn't long until 10 cm....and I started pushing at like 3:40....then sweet Kacie Jane arrived at 4:27p.m.!  The name Kacie is just a name we liked and then Jane means "gift from God" so we just HAD to give her that name because she truly is an unexpected, yet completely prayed for, gift from God.  I can't even believe how amazing giving birth is.  This experience was night and day different from delivering the girls and I'm so thankful I could experience a successful VBAC.  They gave her to me right away!  And then my mouth DROPPED when she knew how to nurse right away!  It took the girls forever to figure out how to suck and swallow and put it all together.  SO SO amazing!

Kacie meeting her mom...best moment ever.  :)

Proud daddy  

 The big sisters were SO anxious to get to the hospital!  They were able to give her her first bath! :)

 Our four beautiful daughters - Emily, Hailey, Addison, and Kacie   I can't believe this is my life!

The nurse gave the girls these hospital bracelets.  :)

First family of 6 photo!!!  My heart is full!!!!

 Meeting Grandma Kathy!

 and Grandma Gwen

 Grandpa Joel - and we have a stretch with kind of naming her after her grandpas.  :)  Total stretch - but my dad's name is Joel Wayne and if you put those names together you kinda get Jane. :)

 And then Kacie has the same initials as Grandpa Kim who's name is Kim J. Dooyema.  No one knows what the J stands for though...so since his first name is girly...who knows? Maybe his middle name is Jane!  Haha! :) Love you both! :)

And my sister was able to come with my nephew Kenton!!

Kenton was SO pumped to have a new cousin!  We call them baby KJ's!  :) Kenton James and Kacie Jane! People kept asking if they were twins! Then we'd be like...well no..but Kara is a twin...and I have triplets at home.  Craziness. :)

Meeting Auntie Jody and cousin Kate!

Cousin Erin is a pro with babies! :) (and Uncle Shane is too but just didn't make the pic! Oops!)

Then we got to take her home on Saturday morning!  The girls couldn't wait to get home from basketball!  Em and Kacie

 Addy and Kacie

 Cousin cuties....or cousin COOTIES :)

 So so thankful my mom and dad and sister and Kenton could be here for the first few days I was home!  They were a huge help and I loved having them here!!!

 Sisterly love...

 Hailey and Kacie

 Precious little miracle

 LOVE her!  And it really is quite different having one baby this time!  I find myself just sitting around holding her so much because I CAN!  And I'm trying to savor every moment knowing it's our last baby!  I get all emotional when I think about how long we wanted her and then how we gave it up to God and then He ends up surprising us in His perfect timing.  I KNOW He has a special plan for this little one and I'm so so thankful we get to experience having a newborn and really ALL of the stages of parenting again.  I feel so blessed and so giddy having her here!

 Buuut...on Monday we went in for her Dr. appt and then didn't find out until Monday at like 8:30 p.m. that she was jaundice.  Her bilirubin level was 19.6 and if it got to 20, she would have to be admitted to the hospital.  For some reason I started bawling (hormones, emotions, over-tired) :) All of the other girls had been in the hospital for 5 weeks and I just hoped we could have a kid who DIDN'T have to be in the hospital!  Poor girl!  So they rushed a bili blanket over to our house at 9:45 p.m. that night.  She was hooked up to this thing every minute for 5 days.  On Friday, Addison stayed home with a fever....then we got a call from school that Hailey had the stomach flu....yikes....and then THANKFULLY we got the call from the Dr. later that night that Kacie could finally go off the bili blanket!  So thankful for good news!!

 Totally a little Ryan I think!  :)

 And isn't this face adorable? :)  I could stare at these little eyes all day!  Praise God for Kacie Jane!  :) Love you honey!!!

Birthdays and a potential birthday :)

 Hi!  October has been a busy month for us and always will be I think! :) We started off the month with Addison, Emily, and Hailey's 7th birthdays!  They are truly getting SO big.  I just can't believe how fast time goes.  They are loving 1st grade.  Addison even says "Mom the weekends take SOOOO long.." :)  She is quite the bookworm and loves cramming ANY info into her cute brain.  She just loves learning and still loves competition and following the rules.  She is a little leader and always willing to help me with anything around the house.  She is such a light.  I love you Addison!!

 Em - Em continues to crack me up.  She is hard to explain sometimes but she has this like lower voice or sarcastic tone or something about her.  She is so matter of fact and down to earth.  She loves being comfy and playing house with her sisters.  Em also loves school and especially loves learning Spanish this year! She is such a joy and so much fun.  I love you Emily!!!

Hailey continues to be my little fashionista.  She loves her skinny jeans (impossible to get her to wear anything else) and definitely knows what she likes and doesn't like as far as clothes go.  :)  She LOVES playing school with her sisters too and continues to love to organize and carry things around the house in a million purses or backpacks.  Just the other day she said "Mom where is a good place to set up my apartment and when can I get a cell phone?"  She is growing up TOO fast.  She also loves school and is such a sweetheart.  I love you so much Hailey Grace!

 I didn't take many pics of the girls opening their presents this year but some fave 7 year old things are new outfits for their American girl dolls, acoustic guitars, new bikes, journals, the classic game Mancala, etc. etc.  :)
 
For their birthday, I went into school three separate times to celebrate each of them.  The tradition in 1st grade is that the kids draw a big poster of the birthday kid and then they spend some time raising their hands and writing what is special about the birthday kid.  Well since doing three of those all in a row would get a little tiring for 1st graders, we split it up and I went in in the morning, then before lunch, and before the end of the day. :)  It was so cute hearing what their friends said about them.

 Singing to Hailey

 After each little celebration they got to  play a few rounds of heads up 7 up.  Classic!

 Singing to Em

 Then they had their birthday party after school at a trampoline park with all the 1st grade girls.  It was CRAZY!  Ryan and I were like over stimulated by all the squeals and hyper-ness and giggles and 1st grade humor.  It was hilarious and so fun to see them interact with all of their friends.  :)

 Singing to Hailey (as Em tries to get in on blowing out Hailey's candles)

 This room was a little small for ALL the craziness! :)

Then the next weekend we celebrated Ryan's birthday which was much more low key but so nice to go out on a date! :)
And THEN...we THOUGHT baby girl was going to arrive last Thursday night!  Here's the scoop.  So I went in for my 38 week appt...

and found out I was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced (woohoo!) Then that night around 7 I started contracting regularly like 10 minutes apart.  They weren't too painful or anything but the first time they were actually regular! So I started paying attention....they were then 7-8 minutes apart regularly until about midnight.  So we decided to go into the hospital since my Dr. said to go in if contractions were 7 minutes apart for over an hour.  So my mother in law came over to stay with the girls (THANK YOU!). When I got to the hospital, they were 5-6 minutes apart but when the nurse checked me I was still 3 cm.  So they let me just contract for 2 hours to see if any progress could be made.  My contractions went to 2-4 minutes...and then at 3 a.m. they checked me again and STILL only 3 cm!  What the world?!  So they wanted to send me home but I started to cry with the sounds of that because if I went home, how would I know when to come back?  When they were 1 minute apart and her head was out?!  I was so confused!  Plus I have this new fear of having a baby in the car like my sister in law did...and my mom specifically told me don't let them send you home (because I have a high school friend who was sent home and had her TWINS at home 2 hours later!)  EEK!  So I was freakin' out.  They let me ride out more contractions for another hour just to be sure.  And sure enough, NO change again!  So confused!  So we headed home then at 4:30 in the morning...I couldn't sleep the rest of the night because I was still contracting every 5 minutes...and then the girls were up for school.  I went back to bed around 8:30 a.m. and thankfully the contractions stopped at 10 a.m.  So now I'm just back to normal braxton hicks contractions that I've had the whole pregnancy.  And I've been very hormonal and frustrated and confused about what was going on with this baby girl!  They said they would have induced me but since I want to have a vaginal birth after a c-section, inducing isn't a great idea so I had to go home.  :(  My Dr. was out of town anyway that weekend so maybe baby is waiting for him.  I have no idea.  :) I just felt so rejected and also felt so dumb and so bad for inconveniencing my mother in law and Ryan too (he changed all his work meetings and everything thinking this was the real deal).  How in the world are you supposed to know?  I'm clueless!  When I had the girls it was so nice because I went in for my appt and the Dr. was like, you are contracting, to the hospital you go!  And then I had them 24 hours later!
I would really love to see what a normal birth is like....but we have a c section scheduled for the 30th if she hasn't arrived by then.  I am just dying to hold her in my arms and the excitement and anticipation is killing me!  This little girl has been wanted/prayed for/and waited for for over 5 years!!!!  That's a long time to wait so now that it's so close it's like a tease!!  Ahh! :)  Prayers for patience and a healthy baby, smooth delivery, and peace of mind for me would be so appreciated.  Thanks everyone!  Here's my before-I-knew-it-was-a-false-alarm pic :) Oh dear.