Well, it’s definitely been an eventful two weeks! If you missed the news, baby Micah was born June 20 — my easiest and fastest birth! So many prayers were answered with his birth and I’m so grateful!
The transition from five kids to six kids and my recovery have both gone remarkably well. In fact, other than being more tired than usual (which is very expected for having a newborn plus a baby and a toddler — and three teens!), I’m feeling close to fully recovered!
Jesse left about five hours after Micah was born because Silas had a long-awaited baseball tournament in Destin, FL. He took D and Kaitlynn with him, too. So it was just me, Kathrynne, Kierstyn, and Micah here for the first five days.
Kathrynne did such a great job juggling taking care of me, Kierstyn, and Micah — and running errands/manning the house, too!
She is utterly in love with her little brother and constantly wants to hold him and help with him and make sure he’s okay!
Headed home from the hospital!
It’s pretty crazy to have a newborn and have your oldest daughter driving you home from the hospital!
Meanwhile in Florida, D loved the water! We missed him so much back home and FaceTimed multiple times a day to get to talk to him and see his smile and hear his laugh. Jesse said he was a dream baby on the trip though (which I’m not surprised by!) He never woke up at night and never cried once the entire trip. Truly, he is the easiest and sweetest child ever!
Right after we got home from the hospital.
One of the best parts of having older kids and littles at the same time is how much the older ones enjoy the little ones. They were SO excited for Micah to be born and I’m glad that I am able to nurse him, because I might not get to hold him much otherwise!
D watching one of the many baseball games in FL. Silas’ team ended up making it to the semi-finals — out of 24 teams!
Kathrynne went back to work on Friday, so I flew solo with these two… and it went pretty well overall!
But we were so happy for Jesse, Silas, Kaitlynn, and D to make it back early Saturday morning. Well, Micah wasn’t quite sure what he thought! 
I was especially happy for this boy to be home. Oh how I missed him!!
If you remember with Kierstyn, I had a really, really hard time with nursing/low supply — mostly due to the fact that she really struggled with latching/sucking from the get-go. After weeks and weeks of hard work and trying all the things, we ended up needing to supplement. I had fully prepared myself that would probably be the case again this time, but Micah has been nursing like a champ… and so I’ve had way more supply. In fact, I’ve been able to pump extra and freeze some every day — something I’ve never been able to do before!!
“How are you doing?” Someone close to me asked me honestly a few days ago. And my truthful answer was: “Really well, but I feel like I’m treading water and definitely haven’t found my groove with 6 kids yet.”
Having three littles means someone always needs their diaper changed, someone always needs to be fed or nursed (or needs a snack), and someone always wants to be held.
And then you add in three teens who need to be driven places, also need to be fed (gratefully, they are very good at fending for themselves!), and who need lots of conversations/encouragement… and well, our days are full and we’re still finding a rhythm here.
BUT, yes, my days might be full, but my heart is fuller.
This life is a gift — all of it.
I look around and see so much beauty. So much joy. So much goodness.
I watch the laughter as our kids interact with each other. I see the kindness and gentleness as the older ones love on the younger ones. I see Kierstyn being a little mama to Micah. I see D learning and growing and bringing so much sunshine to our lives.
I see God’s provision for me on a daily basis. He gives me pockets of time each day to recharge. He gives me sleep when I need it most. He multiplies my energy when I’m weary.
I get to tangibly experience His faithfulness as He gives me exactly what I need to do what He’s called me to each day.
Each day is a gift and I wouldn’t trade this season for anything. We’ll eventually find our groove. For now, I’m just taking one hour at a time and seeking to rely upon God’s faithfulness to give me what I need for that hour… and He is always faithful! 
I was feeling so good one week postpartum that I’ve started to get out of the house a little bit every day — which has been really good for my mental health!
Every time when I get D out of the bath, he holds onto me and just cuddles with me like this for at least a few minutes. It’s the sweetest!
Happy 15th birthday, Kaitlynn! You are one of the most creative, quick-witted, thoughtful people I know. Your sarcasm and sass keeps us in stitches and on our toes. You also help keep us all informed on all the latest news on pretty much everything culturally — I have no idea how you keep up but I’m so glad you do so I don’t have to!
We’ve seen so much maturity in you this past year as you’ve navigated some difficult situations, stood alone, made God-honoring choices in the face of peer pressure, and gotten up really early almost every single morning in order to make the 40-minute drive to ice skating practice/lessons before school.
I’ve loved watching you and Kathrynne become such good friends this year and I’ve also loved all of the dates we’ve had together — even if you’ve sort of given up on me ever having very good tastes in clothes and shoes.
It was special to have at Micah’s birth this week — and the pictures you took of right as he was born are ones I will cherish forever!
You have done so much this past year to help with Kierstyn and D and your excitement over having another little brother to love and pour into was such a help to me on the hard pregnancy days.
God has big things in store for your future! Keep seeking Him and being so intentional in how you live your life, who you surround yourself with, and the decisions you make. We are standing on the sidelines cheering you on as you continue to step closer and closer to adulthood!
We love you, Kaitlynn!