Mother's Day Tea

Claire's class had a Mother's Day Tea.  We had both been nervous that I was going to be in the hospital for the big day.  Thankfully I wasn't, but pulling yourself together the day after getting released from the hospital is definitely a challenge. 

She was so excited to show me all they had done to prepare for the tea.

My place card.

They sang us a few songs. 

She was showing me the "proper" way to hold a tea cup. 

Me and my sweet girl in the hats she made us! (remember this is 4 days post delivery) 

Caroline's first week at home

Bringing a new baby home is not new to us but it is so different every time.  So many emotions with trying to make everyone part of the transition.   Meeting everyones needs on very little sleep is always a challenge.  Thankfully Nana runs the house and fills in with the big girls where ever is needed so I can focus on feeding the baby and Daddy can focus on helping me.  

As always the first night was rough.  Caroline wasn't eating at all.  We knew we had a weight check in the morning and didn't want to get readmitted due to weight loss.  We made it through but it wasn't pretty! 

A little pep talk from Dad!

So Sleepy! 

This little girl is SO loved!

Everyone is part of skin to skin around here.  It takes a village! 

Even a brand new babe can't keep us away from Einstein.  All of our girls have been there the day after coming home from the hospital.  

Daddy tries to do as much of this as possible during his time off work.  

Not all babies get to go to a kickball game at only 4 days old...

We had daily weight checks for the first week! She finally stopped losing weight at the end of the week.

So Claire asked to hold the baby while I made breakfast.  I came in a minute later and she had put a superhero mask on her.

The next check in she had decided to lay down... Hope this sweet girl is tough! 

This is what our house looked like the whole first week.  We just slowed life down and held our new girl! 

This was by far one of my favorite parenting moments ever!  Before she realized I was watching she was rubbing her head and kissing her.  It was so so sweet. 

Trying out her swing. 

Meeting Marcy

Baby TIME!

This delivery day didn't go the same as the others.  I had been to the doctor Monday for my regular doctors appointment and my blood pressure was higher than they like so they sent me to labor and delivery to be put on the monitors for awhile.  Once they confirmed the baby was ok and my blood pressure came down a bit they let me leave.  The scheduled doctors appointments for Tuesday and Thursday to have a blood pressure check and blood work to make sure everything was still stable.  Thursday my blood pressure was still a little higher than they like which isn't unusual for me at this point in my pregnancies.  Since my doctor knows this about me she decided that I could wait to come back Tuesday since she was out Monday as long as I felt ok.  Well, Thursday evening I got a call that she didn't like a few levels on my blood work when it came back and she wanted me to come in to repeat the blood work on Friday.  Friday was grandparents day at Emmerson's school so Nana and Pop Pop were in town.  So once they got home from Emmerson's school I went to the doctor.  I packed up the car before I went because my gut told me it might not go well.  The nurse walked in and took my blood pressure.  She just smiled and started to walk out.  As she was leaving I asked how bad it was and she just smiled.  She opened the door and my doctor was standing in the doorway waiting for results.  When the nurse told her my numbers my doctor just looked at me and said, "We are done!  Let's go!"  I looked at her like she was crazy and asked where?  She then walked me right over to labor and delivery and I was hooked up to the IV within 15 minute to start inducing.  

Since we have always gone into the hospital in the middle of the night in full labor it was very different to be there and doing it all this way.  I called Neil to go home and get the carseat and his stuff, which was an interesting call to make.  I told him to come to the hospital to join me.  He casually said, " ok, are you ok?  In labor?"  He was shocked when I said I was being induced.  

My doctors appointment was at 12:00.  This picture was taken at 12:20.  Pitocin was already cranked up and contractions starting.  I was hopeful it would be a short day since I was starting at 3cm and even told my mom that if I had the baby before bedtime I wanted them to bring the girls to meet him/her.  My doctor came to check on me around 2:00.  She said she wasn't on call and she had plans that night but she would still come back and deliver for us.  She said she would be back around 9:00.  Neil and I smiled and said great and thanked her for her willingness to come back.  As soon as she walked out I looked at him and the nurse and made it very clear I had no plans of waiting on her to return! That seemed so far away.

Neil and I sat and watched them set up the room for a baby.  It was fun to watch since we usually miss it all happening due to all the pain I am in by the time we get to the hospital. 

My Dad drove Neil to the hospital so we wouldn't have two cars there so he snapped a picture for us. 

And then we settled in for a long day...Thank goodness for this guy on delivery days!  He is the best in this situation!  I have never gotten an epidural so it is a long hard day for him too.  Listening to me say irrational things and trying anything to help me through the day.  

It's a GIRL

It was not as fast or an easy day as we had hoped! I was 3 cm at noon when they started the pitocin.  All the nurses were sure it would move quickly since we had a nice start and it was a 4th baby.  So I was hopeful we would have a baby by dinner.  That was not the case.  It took close to 9 hours of pitocin and hard contractions to get to 10 cm.  I chose not to have an epidural again this time so I was VERY happy when it was all over at 9:50 pm.  We didn't know the gender of the baby so when the doctor held her up for Neil to announce the gender I looked at him and he was just holding up 4 fingers with a big smile on his face and said, "we have four girls...four daughters!"  I will never forget that! 

My first peek at our newest girl! 

8 pounds 1 ounce

19 and 1/2 inches

Daddy's first squeeze.

Dr. Stuhldreher has been with us through a lot over the last 8 years.  She actually no longer does any OB only GYN but she took us on for this pregnancy anyway.  I couldn't be more thankful for that! She knows how my pregnancies go and knows how to keep a close watch on things but never seems to overreact.  She made it a point to make sure she was the one that delivered Caroline.  She got there at the very last minute and didn't even have time to put scrubs on. She is the BEST! 

Nothing better than checking them out for the first time and meeting who has been wiggling inside you. 

She showed the pediatrician that her lungs worked right away. 

We love that our last two babies didn't have to go to the NICU so we got these first hours with them.

Our chubby baby! 

Nana snuck up for a quick peek before bed.  

It was a long day for everyone. 

Meeting her Sisters

When Emmerson got home from school Nana and Pop Pop told the girls that we were at the hospital and would have a baby by morning.  They videoed it for us.  It was so cute.  They were squealing and asking a million questions! 

They were up and ready the next morning in the big sister shirts. 

The girls had a plan for months before the baby was born.  They wanted to find out if it was a boy or a girl when they got to the hospital and by seeing if it was a pink hat or blue. They also decided that Claire got to hold the baby first.  

Pop Pop thought it was a boy because we kind of tricked him.  I talked to Nana on the phone a few times right after Caroline was born.  The plan wasn't to tell them either and surprise them at the hospital.  We were on speaker phone and making a plan for Nana to come up.  I said SHE was getting checked out (Nana knew right away) and I followed it up with I will need to feed HIM next.  Pops just caught that part.  Nana did visit but kept the secret.  So Pop Pop was shocked when he walked in and saw a pink hat.  

They ran in the room and couldn't get to Daddy who was holding the baby fast enough.  The kept yelling it's a girl! 

They checked out every little bit of her.  They just couldn't understand why she didn't have a name.  They kept asking when she would get one. 

As promised, Claire held her first! 

Then Emmerson 

and Audrey!

They were in love instantly, just like us! 

There is noting better than begin part of these first meetings! 

Emmerson is a natural.  She is so good with her. 

Claire adored her from the very first second.   

Safe bet this little girl will want for nothing! 

Our first family photo.