Announcing Tristan Gilbert Kaiser

Our last baby was born 7/7/17 and we couldn't be happier!  Our family is now complete with three beautiful healthy boys.  Dave and I love that we are a family full of boys and can't wait to explore this world with them.
Tristan like his brothers just didn't want to leave my womb and we ended up scheduling yet another induction.  This was a pretty big disappointment to me for I really wanted to experience going into labor on my own.  We could have continued to wait for you to come on your own time but you were only getting bigger, and I was growing terribly uncomfortable, Dave was leaving for Atlanta in a few days and we kinda loved the birth date of 7/717.  So that morning Sara came over super early to be here with your brothers and Dave and I headed into the hospital at 5am.  We had decided we wanted this birth to just be him and I and we wanted time to just be together so we didn't have any family present during the induction.
The entire induction was pretty simple and frankly when Tristan was born I just couldn't believe how easy it was and I couldn't believe your birth process was over.  Pitocin was started around 6am, I received my epidural around 10am, and you were born at 11:19.  Dave called out your gender and I had honestly forgot that we didn't know if you were a boy or girl.  I had felt so strongly at the end that you were a boy that I really wasn't surprised.  For maybe one millisecond I felt sad that you were not a girl and that I would never know what it was like to have a daughter but that fleeting thought vanished so quick and I fell in love with you.  Tristan was born with brown hair of which Dave kept asking where that came from.  He just couldn't believe you had dark hair despite the fact that I have brown hair.  I for one really hope that you keep your dark hair and that we will have a red head, a blond, and a brunette.  You weighed 8lbs11oz, and 20.5 inches long.  You are super furry and I love all the peach fuzz that covers your entire body.
That day we were visited by your Nana and Clark, and Grandma came the next day your brothers followed by the Sutherland family, and Sara.  Your big brothers were so enamored by you.  They both couldn't wait to hold you and check out all your little parts.  You got so many kisses that morning and we all were so happy to have you complete our family.

2017 4th of July

We had a impromptu July 4th Party this year at our house.  Andrea and Brett and the boys came by for a day at at the pool, and when we saw Eric and Aaron and their kids their too we invited them along as well.  We all had a ton of fun together playing at the pool, grilling out and lighting off fireworks.  I struggled a little seeing as I was three days away from my due date with baby #3, but thanks to Erica, Andrea and Dave I didn't' have to much but sit around and contract during the party. ;)

June Photo Dump

First Sutures for Jett

Brody is our dare devil and Jett isn't a chicken but is a bit more cautious yet he seems to be the one always getting injured.  I still don't know exactly what happened but what I can gather from his injury and from Brody's rendition of what happened I believe Jett fell or maybe was pushed from our slide in the playroom and he hit his head on the outside of the toy shelves.  Sadly I was doing dishes and didn't see it and didn't believe he was really hurt until he made his way over to me with blood pouring down his face.  To my surprise he actually quit crying rather quick and we snuggled on the couch until Dave was able to come home to keep Brody while I took him to get stitches.  Luckily one of the perks of working in the OR is I get to know many of the surgeons and was able to text a plastic surgeon friend who agreed to stitch him up in his office that night.

When we arrived at his office we had to strap poor little Jett down and I held his head still while Joe numbed and stitched up his head.  I felt so bad holding him down but to my surprise he didn't really cry a cry of fear or hurt but he was pissed.  He recovered pretty quick and even said "dank you," when he was all finished.

I am SO happy with his scar and not that I ever doubted Joe but just two weeks out it looks amazing!!

11 Days Away From Kaiser Party of 5

So here I sit, 11 days away from your due date.  You have already kept us on our toes just like your brothers did and we have had two nights of false start labor.  At least this time I have learned to wait it out a bit before heading to the hospital.  Right now your Dad is on his way to Dayton and I am pretty worried that I'll go into labor without him, or that I'll call him home in the middle of the night for yet another false alarm.  So do me a favor just hang tight in there for the next 48 hrs.  We are all so excited to finally meet you and have you come complete our family.  We have decided on your name and if you are a boy you will be Tristan Gilbert, and if you are a girl Vale Ann.  I really feel like you are a boy.  I feel so strongly about it that I forget in actuality I really don't know.  Brody seems to believe you area  girl because we already have three boys in the family and only one girl.  Jett still has no clue about you or anything that is about to happen.

Brody,

You have been here before buddy!  I'm, not sure you remember us bringing home your brother Jett or not but nevertheless you have experienced all this before.  You surprised us with your love for Jett from day 1.  We thought you would have trouble sharing our attention and yet you fell right into your big brother role beautifully.  It has been fun to talk to you about our new baby and here all the things you want to help with.  You love to feel the baby kick and it always makes you giggle.  I have no doubt you will step into your big brother role again quite seamlessly and I look forward to seeing how much you have matured with your ability to help this time around.

Jett,

Ohh Jett, I worry about you buddy.  I think you will love the new baby maybe a little to much at times but I think you will have trouble with sharing our attention.  At the same time I say this, I also can't help but recognize how much you have matured in the last 6 months.  You are learning limits and are testing ours but you seem to easier and are beginning to understand the way of the world on multiple levels.  I'm so glad you have your older brother to help show you the ropes of the big brother role.  I think you will also do great and I look forward to seeing the bond you form with a younger sibling. I sure do love you buddy and hope you transition to big brother as easily as your brother did.  

Fathers Day 2017

Fathers Day this year was hard for me but I'm pretty sure Dave had a great day which I guess is what it is about.  It was a scorcher which made it hard to entertain the boys because being this far along pregnant it was just to hot for me to be outside much.  Dave had asked to spend the day parachuting and he wanted the boys to come to the drop zone to see him jump.  I was kind of reluctant because I knew the boys would love it and that would be good and bad all at the same time.  We ended up going because I decided we are who we are and I want the boys to live their life fully like their Dad does but I just hope and pray they are a bit more chicken of all these more dangerous hobbies.

35 weeks Pregnant and Balloon Race

Not sure what I was thinking taking the boys to the Danville Balloon Race alone after working all week, but we had fun and no one got lost.  It was a hot night but I felt that I hadn't been that fun lately because I am always telling them that the baby makes Mommy tired and that we can't do things because of the baby in my belly.  I spent most of the evening second guessing my decision to go and worrying I would loose one of them in the crowd but we ended up having a blast.