Snaggle Tooth

April 7, 2014Amber 6 Comments

Our pediatrician recommends seeing the dentist between 18 months and age two. I’ve been planning to take everyone for their first dental exam this summer, around their second birthday. Plans changed last week.

Monday evening as George dressed Sydney in her pajamas, he gasped as he exclaimed, “What happened to Sydney’s tooth???” My response, “I don’t know? Is something wrong?” Apparently the little monkey chipped a good portion of her front left tooth, but neither of us could recall when it happened. Sydney isn’t the most graceful child, but neither of us knew of bump that would cause a chip of this size. She was fussy that evening, but didn’t seem terribly bothered so I wasn’t panicked, but worried about it still. The next day, I made an appointment with the pediatric dentist in our neighborhood to get it examined. Nisey babysat the trio while I took Sydney to see the dentist.

Sydney rarely smiles, revealing her teeth. I snapped this on her 18 month birthday.

I tickled Sydney and got her to reveal her new and improved smile with the chip.

Sydney and I enjoyed a little individual time in the waiting room, but we weren’t there more than five minutes. Dr. Roberts welcomed us and exuded a gentle demeanor well suited for little ones. Despite Dr. Roberts’ friendly nature, Sydney does not appreciate anyone opening her mouth. She protested with gusto squealing and thrashing angrily. Nonetheless, Dr. Roberts got a good look at her teeth. Thankfully, there was no nerve damage. Sydney got a clean report plus a Cinderella toothbrush (coveted by Rylin) and pink dinosaur. She will, however be a snaggle tooth until she loses that tooth and gets a permanent one in it’s place. She’s just as adorable as before the chip so I don’t foresee any problems for Sydney.

Noticing a bit of tooth shifting, Dr. Roberts inquired whether Sydney was thumb or pacifier sucker. I admitted that Sydney still used her Wubbanub to help calm her sensory system. I was prepared to use the justification our occupational therapist gave me, but it wasn’t necessary. Without hesitation, Dr. Roberts warmly replied, “Let her have it!” In fact, she said it’s preferable to allow a pacifier because parents can control their use. Sydney may be Wubbanub dependent, but she’s only allowed to have it in bed, for sleeping or sensory breaks. Her thumb goes with her everywhere, and I’m confident she’d pick up a serious thumb sucking habit if we took her Wubbanub now.

Sydney fell in love with her Wubbanub in the NICU, and continued to love it after she came home.

At 20 months, Sydney is still smitten with her Wubbanub. She now has a nice collection of hand me downs from her siblings who are no longer interested.

Needing to go to the dentist for an “emergency” situation wasn’t ideal, but I enjoyed spending time with only Sydney. Individual time is rare and always treasured. After our visit, Sydney and I enjoyed a bit of retail therapy at Target. I scored several items from the One Spot for the quad’s Easter baskets and a few household essentials.

Sydney had fun trying this magenta feather boa on, and she wasn’t upset when we put it back on the rack. I would have loved to buy it for her, but this dress up accessory was $20! I think not.

We captured a “selfie” before heading back home.

Have you ever experienced a dental “emergency”?

Hugs!

Amber

Shawver Shenanigans: Still Alive & Well

March 29, 2014Amber 6 Comments

It’s been quite a while since an episode of Shawver Shenanigans. It’s not for lack of Shenanigans. At 20 months old, the quads are getting into all sorts of mischief, so much that I can hardly keep up with them. Another conundrum is that they are quite aware of their behavior and I don’t want to encourage them to continue something undesirable (e.g. climbing on the couch and sprinting) by snapping photos. Nonetheless, I captured a few highlights hopefully without encouraging bad behavior.

The quads have been doing exceptionally well with using utensils at meals. Don’t get me wrong; meals are still a total mess. They are, however, getting food onto their utensils and they transferring that food into their mouth 50% of the time. I’m proud of their progress so I thought I’d do a post about how meals are going with a video clip of some of their marvelous self feeding skills.

I prepared a meal that I thought would help them display their emerging skills: meatloaf with mashed potatoes, green beans, and garlic bread. I thought they’d effortlessly spear the green beans and meatloaf and could scoop the potatoes without them falling off the fork. W-R-O-N-G! The quads did not view this meal as a the culinary art of Suzy Homemaker. Instead, they saw a sensory experience to be seized. Mason grabbed potatoes by the handful and proceeded to fling them across the table as if it were a school cafeteria food fight. As I attempted to redirect him, Sydney artfully smeared potatoes in an arch shape across the table. It didn’t take long before Harper and Rylin joined the shenanigans. I was horrified it the disaster that was my kitchen. Not only were my children creating mayhem at the table, but they weren’t eating the meal I prepared with my last shred of energy for the day. UGH! The potatoes seemed to be wreaking havoc so I scooped them up and attempted to salvage the rest of the meal. I can’t win them all, can I? We’ve had many more meals that would be a fantastic example of civilized toddlers using utensils, but I’ve scrapped sharing that. It seems that when I hit “record”, things go awry.

The meal started off as a pretty one. I tried.

Mason looks a tad guilty here.

In the evenings, George began a new tradition he may soon regret: piggy back rides. He lays on the floor, and one or two babies climbs on his back for a ride. They do surprisingly well checking their balance and hanging on. Of course, these piggy back rides are at a snail’s pace so if they fall it’s not a big deal.

Sometime after nap and before dinner, the quads get all jazzed up with a second wind. They take great pleasure in darting up and down the hallways as they shriek creating a reverberating echo. I’m relatively certain this particular activity contributes to evening headaches, but they are happy squeals so I let them have their fun.

What’s shaking at your house?

hugs!

Amber

Pink Cake

March 26, 2014April 5, 2014Amber 6 Comments

The quads are beginning to make requests, some quite specific. All. The. Time. While I love how their language is progressing, it also brings new challenges. Often times, denials result in full throttle toddler tantrums with someone kicking and screaming for what seems like eternity. Of course when one child is having tantrum, there are often bystanders who chime in. Other times, there is no tantrum, but persistent requests that cannot be met. I do relish when the request or the timing is humorous or downright adorable.

At 5:45 am, I heard Mason softly requested, “Drink, please.” I wasn’t too keen on being up at 5:45 am, but I obliged this polite request. Clearly, the kid knew he was parched and wanted his needs known. When I presented him the desired drink, he replied, “Have it”, as he nodded in agreement. Thankfully, he went right back to bed after hydrating.

After being in bed two hours, Sydney woke up saying , “Outside. Outside. Outside.” as she gleefully jumped in her crib. Not the best time of day for playtime. This time, we gently told her it was “night, night” and she settled. Tantrum averted.

Harper’s new request, “Boogas”. No, he doesn’t want boogers, he wants me to use his saline and nasal aspirator to remove his boogers, and he knows exactly what to do.

Harper insists on doing the saline on his own.

My favorite request to date, however, was Rylin’s for “Pink cake”. A family friend gave her a Strawberry Shortcake magazine filled with pages of pink cakes adorned in strawberries and frosting. This led Rylin to begin the request for “pink cake.” Not white cake or yellow cake, this was for pink cake only. She persisted for two days straight, and thankfully accepted many denials. Finally, on day two, George caved and made his princess a pink cake from scratch. This may be my favorite request to date because it was seriously tasty cake. I’m secretly hoping she’ll request it again, I’d love another slice.

Our cake wasn’t quite as ornate as the ones pictured in Rylin’s magazine, but it was really good. I served Rylin’s in a pink bowl for good measure.

Pink cake, anyone?

hugs,

Amber

An American Icon

March 22, 2014March 23, 2014Amber 10 Comments

Shortly before the babies were born, a McDonald’s opened up on a corner within walking distance from our house. While the golden arches are iconic across America, I had mixed emotions about their new presence right in the neighborhood. We are not fast food connoisseurs at all. Anytime someone inquires about what fast food chains are close to our house, I blank. I really have no idea because we eat at home most of the time. It’s not that we don’t enjoy the occasional indulgence or convenience, we just rarely eat fast food.

Also, early on in our marriage George and I took a road trip with my extended family. We both vividly recall the youngest cousins having a tantrum because we stopped at Wendy’s instead of McDonald’s (apparently McDonald’s boasts better toys in the kid’s meals). It was the horrible wailing feet stomping type of tantrum that humiliates parents. At that point, George and I wondered if we wanted to darken the doors of a McDonald’s ever again, especially if we ever had children in tow. Being the parents of four toddlers we know full well that tantrums ensue whenever, where ever and avoiding McDonald’s doesn’t equate to zero tantrums in public. It only guarantees no tantrums in McDonald’s. Last week, it happened: the quads ate at McDonald’s. Granted they ate yogurt parfaits, they had their first ever McDonald’s experience. I do hope to convince them yogurt and apple slices are the only items on the menu for as long as possible (ideally forever).

Since McDonald’s is within walking distance, we walked. I assumed that there wouldn’t be four available high chairs and planned to serve the quads in their stroller, but Nisey thought we should try sitting in a booth. They did relatively well sandwiched between two adults, but thoughtful McDonald’s employee generously heaved four high chairs over to our table. We happened to be at a long rectangular table, which easily accommodated four high chairs. The yogurt parfaits were gobbled up and the quads seemed to enjoy the atmosphere. With spring weather on the horizon, I believe we will enjoy many more yogurt parfiats.

This table was ideal for housing the seven of us.

When it was time for our McDonald’s adventure to end, the quads made sure to throw decent tantrums.

There is a table in this McDonald’s that lights up with different colors when you touch it. The quads would have really enjoyed eating at this table, but it was occupied when we arrived. Before we left, everyone had an opportunity to touch the colors. Sydney thought she needed to touch it with her face.

What’s your favorite item on McDonald’s menu? I’m serving the quads yogurt, but I admittedly love the fries.

hugs!

Amber

Banding Together, Raising Awareness

March 20, 2014March 20, 2014Amber 9 Comments

Despite having a few scares, George and I were lucky during my pregnancy and subsequent NICU stay. From the moment we learned we were expecting quadruplets we were painfully aware of the inherent risks for all involved and we chose to accept them. Even knowing these risks, it never occurred to me that we may not take one or more of them home. The past year has been a difficult one in our community of quadruplet families. In the past eight months we’ve wept as many families lost one or two babies. And, three different families lost all four babies due to extremely premature deliveries. The Peterson family was the latest to suffer this grave loss. They bravely share their story and photographs on their Facebook page, Prayers for the Fantastic Four.

Jen and Chris shared this photograph of their angels.

Here, Jen embraces three of her angels. Her first daughter, Serenity, is represented by the teddy bear. Serenity was delivered two days prior in hopes of saving her mother and siblings. Unfortunately, the delivery of the remaining three could not be prevented. The Peterson family has a Go Fund page established to help offset funeral and hospital expenses. If you are able, any donation is appreciated.

What broke my heart even more was knowing that these lives may have been spared. I believe this because of my friend, Kathryn. Before I met her, she lost her twin boys at just 16 weeks due to incompetent cervix. Since her losses, Kathryn has become the most articulate advocate of TACs I know. Because she is the expert on this topic, I asked her to share her knowledge in hopes of raising awareness and helping mothers realize their options. Here are Kathryn’s words:

Ever watch Dexter? It’s a Showtime program chronicling the ongoings of a serial killer while following a moral code. Dexter successfully detaches himself from his killing tendencies by referring to that part of himself as his ‘Dark Passenger.’ I have a Dark Passenger, too: an incompetent cervix. And it killed my sons.

The cervix sits between the uterus and the vagina and acts as a safe keeper of baby. A good cervix stays closed during pregnancy and holds baby in tightly. A column of mucous forms in the center of the cervix to plug any possibility of good (or bad) vaginal bacteria ascending. At the end of the gestation, contractions essentially slam baby into the cervix repeatedly to send the message, “Hey, open up, it’s time!” After that timely prodding, the cervix will dilate and allow baby to be pushed out vaginally. There are some other things that tell the cervix to get ready – but those also all occur at the END of gestation.

In contrast, an incompetent cervix fails. It opens willy nilly – even at 16 weeks! It could open ever so slightly to lose bits of the mucous plug and allow bacteria to ascend. It could open just at the top forming a funnel that baby slips into causing all sorts of problems. It could even open all the way causing the baby to fall out. And just as fast as it opens, it can close back up never having its misbehavior detected. This earns an incompetent cervix the nickname ‘Silent Killer.’

Diagnosis of IC can be difficult. The cervix can change so frequently, that often it’s not detected as problematic until an emergency arises. Most often, women must lose several 2^nd trimester pregnancies before most doctors will even consider IC as a diagnosis. Doctors treat it as a diagnosis by process of elimination rather than a diagnosis based on IC symptoms.

Treatment options are severely limited by gestation and severity of the situation. In a nutshell, current treatments include:

Wait and Watch Approach – Doctors may suspect (or even KNOW) a patient has IC and elect to simply monitor the cervix via ultrasound every two weeks from about 16 weeks to 24 weeks gestation.
Preventive Transvaginal Cerclage (TVC) – entering through the vaginal canal, a cerclage is stitched in/out of the bottom of the cervix, pulled taught like a purse string, and tied off. This placement occurs between 10 and 14 weeks gestation as an attempt to prevent any cervical changes occurring and becoming problematic. The TVC is removed at the end of pregnancy to allow for vaginal delivery.
Rescue/Emergency Transvaginal Cerclage (TVC) – This occurs during the pregnancy when doctors notice that a dangerous change has occurred in the cervical length or dilation. There are many limits to even utilizing this option as there has to be enough length remaining to place the stitch and most doctors will not place a rescue cerclage at gestations close to or beyond viability (24 weeks). Again, the TVC is removed at the end of pregnancy to allow for vaginal delivery.
Transvaginal Cervicoisthmic Cerclage (TVCIC) – A TVCIC may be placed prior to or during pregnancy. Though this is still a vaginal cerclage, it is placed ABOVE the cardinal ligaments. It may be removed to allow for vaginal births or left in place for future pregnancies (and a c-section performed). Fewer doctors currently know about and perform TVCIC than TAC.
Transabdominal Cerclage (TAC) – A TAC may be placed prior to or during pregnancy at 10-14 weeks. Through an incision in the abdomen, a mersiline band is placed AROUND the very top of the cervix to disallow dilation. Vaginal delivery is impossible with a TAC and a c-section is required.

Once a person is diagnosed with definitive IC, there should be no question that placing a preventive permanent transabdominal cerclage (TAC) is the correct path. (side note: tvcic is a viable option, but I reserve recommending tvcic in only extreme situations such as a rescue or when multiple abdominal incisions would occur in such a tight time frame that increased risk is assigned to the patient)

While statistics depend on each doctor, here are a few rough numbers to consider:

Success rates of TVC = *80% for a live birth (about 40% of these births are preterm)

Success rates of TAC = 97%+ for a live TERM birth (certain TAC doctors have even higher success rates)

*these may be exaggerated because some women receive TVC placements who do not actually have IC and are counted towards being a TVC success even though they would’ve been successful without one.

Clearly, TAC gives the best possible outcome for baby’s life.

Another consideration ought to be the quality of pregnancy. With IC, uncertainty rules pregnancy. Every twinge, every pain, every flutter, every kick, every toilet visit – it’s all filled with dread and fear. As odd as it sounds, IC support sites are filled with pics of women asking if discharge looks normal. On top of that, TVCs often require (and I ALWAYS recommend) bed rest to keep as much pressure off the cervix as possible. Forget baths, exercise, intimacy, lifting toddlers, etc. Your baby’s life is relying on that thread of support at the bottom of the cervix.

With a TAC, IC considerations are gone. The cervix will not budge. Even if the length shortens, the cervix cannot dilate. It cannot open and allow baby to slip out. Baby is baking until doctor says otherwise! Unless it’s for other non-IC reasons, bed rest is not required. I personally worked up until the day of my c-section and that is the norm for TAC sisters. Pregnant in the summer, I spent hours each day in the pool. In the winter, I practically lived in the bathtub. Intimacy was allowed. I was able to lift what I wanted, shop til I dropped, and live my normal life. TAC allows normal pregnancy!

As women, we rely on our doctors to prescribe the best treatment. We assume they have the same goal – and same urgency – at protecting our babies that we do. To be clear, I do not think doctors prescribing a preventive TVC have the ill will of wanting to risk or kill our babies. Unfortunately, every doctor placing a preventive TVC or advising a wait and watch situation when IC is known is doing just that: risking your baby. Sometimes it’s due to a lack of education, but sometimes when you press the doctor, you’ll hear them utter, “If this doesn’t work, then next time…”

So what can a mama do?

Educate yourself on the realities of cervical insufficiency. Understand how the cervix should work and how it fails. Fully understand what each treatment option entails. Find women to talk to on support boards about their experiences. Evaluate your lifestyle and mental health and figure out what you could realistically handle during a pregnancy. Speak to the top IC doctors in the country (Drs. Haney, Davis, and Sumners). Talk to your OBs and MFMs. Pointedly ask them what happens if you funnel to the stitch and shorten at 22 weeks. Ask them what will happen if your membranes bulge or baby’s leg dangles into the vagina. What then? Ask them who makes the final call on treatment for baby. Remember, this is your body, your baby, and your choice. Nobody is going to look after preserving and protecting your baby better than you are.

As a specific point, I want to offer an asterisk to all the successful tvc stories you may hear: firstly, a woman with known IC could absolutely have a completely normal, intervention-free pregnancy. That’s the crapshoot of IC: sometimes the cervix works and sometimes it doesn’t. It may behave well during one pregnancy and terribly during another.

Additionally, you need to understand this equation:

TVC Success = surgical skill + cervical behavior

TAC success = surgical skill

With an IC diagnosis, you already know your cervix does not work. Understand that choosing a TVC continues to rely, in part, on the behavior of that broken cervix.

For me, TAC was the muddy answer at the time, but oh how clear the waters have become. I was able to slaughter that serial killing Dark Passenger who stole away my sons and conquer IC altogether. I now have beautiful twin rainbow daughters thanks to my TAC. And I will never regret choosing life at any cost for them.

Kathryn Nguyen is a proud mother to two sets of twins and a prayerful TAC-only advocate. Visit her blog Beyond This Desert for more information on cervical insufficiency and TAC.

Three other quad mom bloggers joined me in the effort to raise awareness on this sensitive topic, please visit:

Capri + 3

Chillin’ with Chad

Quads from Heaven

In honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, I addressed my own losses, Casting a Light in the Darkness & Reflecting.

Toddler Tips: Let’s Have Tea

March 17, 2014Amber 21 Comments

With each passing day, I find myself trying to solve some new challenge with raising four toddlers, aka “quaddlers”. They are a cunning lot who inspires a little ingenuity on my part (and George’s) just to manage day to day life. While my ideas are born from being surrounded by four toddlers, I think many of them could be helpful to any parents of little ones so I’m sharing.

When Sydney was initially evaluated by ECI for speech delays, the speech pathologist asked how she was doing with open cups at meals. SAY WHAT???? Seriously, I didn’t realize that at 15 months they should be drinking from an open cup (or at least trying). I’m not sure what parents of singletons do, but as a mom of quadruplets, I was not about to let four toddlers loose with open cups at the table. At that age they were practically catapulting spill proof straw cups across the room. In fact, at that age I believe we were using sippy cup straps. Even though the quads were apparently deprived of an opportunity, the speech pathologist understood my plight. She suggested letting them practice in the bathtub with cups so I wouldn’t have to contend with spills.

I thought about that, I really did. However, germaphobe me just could not get past the notion of encouraging the babies to drink bath water. Even though I try extremely hard to avoid urine in the water, I know they still pee in the tub. Plus, they are taking a bath because they are smelly, sticky, and downright gross! I could not do it. Several months passed and I still had not allowed the babies to experiment with open cups at the table, or the bathtub for that matter.

When Sydney’s re-evaluation for speech came up at 19 months, the speech pathologist inquired about how she managed open cups again. UGH! I had to admit she (and the others) still weren’t given an opportunity. I volunteered that with the warmer weather approaching we could start using the water table outside and could try cups then. They’d still have their icky hands in the water, but at least I’d be sure there was no pee pee in their beverages. That wouldn’t do, she wanted Sydney and her posse trying open cups.

Together we decided a bathtub tea party would work perfectly. Instead of encouraging them to drink the bath water, I filled a tea-pot with fresh, cold water. I told the babies it was “time for tea”, passed out cups and filled each cup with a little fresh water. All four babies drank happily, spilling very little. When someone attempted to refill their own cup with bath water, I redirected them saying, “No, no, Mommy has tea here”, and refilled the cup myself. In time, they poured “tea” into the water and made multiple attempts to drink the bath water, but I stuck to the plan.

I used color tabs to make the bath water blue so it would look different from the tea. I don’t think the babies cared about that, however.

Bottoms up, Harper!

Ryin is a girl after my own heart, I also like sipping tea with a spoon.

Of course, a tea party also includes the finest of fruits and pastries.

After a while, Rylin started feeding Harper some of her tea.

We will continue having the occasional bathtub tea party until I’m brave enough to serve open cups at the dinner table, or perhaps the outdoor picnic table. I haven’t tried this yet, but I’m considering filling the tea-pot with something other than water (e.g. decaf tea or juice) to encourage them to drink it and not refill on their own). Out of necessity, I’ve been hostessing these tea parties on my own with all four babies at once. However, I think we’d make more progress on bath nights when I have help and can bathe just one or two babies at a time.

Where’s your favorite spot to enjoy a cup of tea?

hugs!

Amber

A Day of Beauty

March 14, 2014Amber 13 Comments

Several weeks, possibly months have passed since I realized the boys needed their first haircuts. George willingly would have taken the task on himself, but I wasn’t about to let him chop at their baby locks. Last spring, I allowed him to snip the girls bangs and it was slightly disastrous. His handiwork ended up as super short, blunt bangs that took months to grow out. I cannot cut along a straight line on paper so I wasn’t going to attempt any scissor work. This was clearly a job for professionals.

Mason’s hair had a disheveled appearance most of the time prior to his cut.

I knew of three children’s salons in our area and began a little recon. Do you have any idea what they charge for toddler cuts???? Both boys together would cost more than I pay for a cut and style with my stylist. The bad news, these three salons were in cahoots. The prices were exactly the same! I did, however, find that Sweet & Sassy offers a discount on “Toddler Tuesday.” Score! Except I had one problem, I wasn’t about to take four toddlers to a salon on my own. Reinforcements were needed.

Yet, most everyone we know is at work on a Tuesday. I racked my brain trying to figure out who might be available. Then, BAM! My long time friend, and college room-mate, Kristen sent me a text. She wanted to let me know that she and our other room-mate, Neha, wanted to spend Tuesday with the quads and me. Sometimes things just work out. I was totally stoked that my two buddies would be present for the boys’ first hair cuts, and I would have two extra sets of hands. When the big day arrived, we all met up at the salon and maneuvered two double strollers through the glitzy salon. The entire store front was jam-packed with sparkly fashions, accessories, and make up. Clearly this joint is suited for the girliest of girls, but thankfully they offer boy hair cuts too.

We checked in and found that each of the boys had his own stylist. Harper is generally the most content of the babies so I plopped him in the chair first. Maria fitted him with a cape and the tantrum ensued. Harper squealed as if his skin were being scalded with napalm. It was horrific. Meanwhile, our resident “Drama King”, Mason, happily sat in his chair as Morgan snipped and shaped his strawberry brown mop. I expected that someone may be unhappy so I came armed with a variety of toys and Annie’s cheddar bunnies. Harper was having none of it. He continued wailing and sobbing with increasing intensity. It wasn’t long before Maria suggested I give him a lollipop. It sounded like a good distraction, only I didn’t bring lollipops. Maria pointed to a gorgeous display of gourmet flavored lollipops molded into a variety of shapes. I cautiously selected one in the lightest shade, bracing myself for the potential price tag on said lollipop. Considering I was purchasing sale hair cuts, I hated the idea of paying a hefty penny for a piece of candy. However, we desperately needed something to help calm Harper. I happily presented the lollipop to Harper and he refused. Instead, Mason enjoyed every last lick.

Even though Harper was in hysterics the entire twenty minutes of his hair cut, Maria worked without missing a beat. In fact, it was proof that there’s a reason toddler cuts don’t come cheap, these dear people are worth every penny. Once Harper’s cut was done, we unfastened his cape and the tears magically stopped flowing. The next time we go in, we may nix the cape if that means we’ll have a happy child. Both boys looked quite handsome in the end. As soon as we loaded everyone back into the strollers, the girls were each offered a lollipop, and I realized they were complimentary. Whew!

Don’t they look dapper?

After his torture treatment was complete, Harper appreciated his lollipop much more.

The girls waited patiently the entire time and therefore earned their lollipops too.

The weather was stunning so our little quadventure continued. Neha, Kristen, and I let the quads romp around the town square fountain. They had a blast running freely, however redirecting them from the street was no cake walk. We then enjoyed a little time in Earthbound Trading Co. where there were plenty of toys to explore. Following our time exploring, we hit up Cristina’s Tex Mex because kids eat free on Tuesday! It turned out to be a lovely day with some special friends.

Neha was impressed to find the babies can label most any animal, including iguana and produce the corresponding sound. Mason was impressed with this owl puppet, which boasted moving eyes and beak.

What service do you appreciate even if the price seems a bit hefty?

hugs! Amber

Southern Hospitality

March 12, 2014March 12, 2014Amber 1 Comment

This week the quads welcomed our friend, Sara’s new baby into our home. To date, they’ve had a few opportunities to play with other babies younger than themselves, but Emma was by far our youngest visitor. The quads enjoy admiring babies in public, reading about them in books, and caring for dolls, but I wasn’t sure how well they’d actually interact with an infant. From the moment they laid eyes on Emma, they were enamored. At first, they curiously peered at her through our baby gate. Then, they crept up close as I held Emma. In typical toddler fashion, they mercilessly fought among each other over coveted toys. Thankfully, they behaved differently with Emma. Each of the quads took turns generously presenting Emma with plastic food and sips of tea. It was quite the display of southern hospitality. Initially, they were a bit too loud and rowdy for an infant, but with reminders, they tamed things down and proved themselves capable of being gentle with a wee one.

Each of the quads spent time getting a closer look at Emma, but Rylin insisted on sitting right next to her. She was surprisingly obedient about only touching Emma’s feet.

Sydney also thought looking at pictures of Emma was fascinating.

I snapped at lightning speed to capture this one. Mason bolted shortly after.

In the next year or so, I think Emma will be a great play mate for the quads!

hugs,

Amber

A Few Good Toddler Reads

March 6, 2014Amber 4 Comments

A few months back, I loyal reader informed me that Twiniversity, an online resource for parents of multiples, was seeking parents of quadruplets to contribute for them. Being unfamiliar with Twiniversity, I curiously perused the site. There, I found a wealth of information and tips for everyone to expectant parents to school aged children. After learning what Twiniversity is about, I found myself submitting some of my favorite posts and pitching ideas to them. To my delight, they thought I’d be a good fit for them. With that I present my first piece for Twiniversity, Reading to Toddlers: Tips for Boosting Language. I hope you’ll pop by Twiniversity to read my tips for yourself!

There’s no better way to wind down for the day than with a bedtime story. The quads love to pile onto my lap together, and I’m enjoying it before they get too big.

Thinking about this post, I asked you to name your favorite children’s books. Many of your favorites, were also beloved in our home. You named several that were my childhood favorites that are not currently in our library, and I’m adding those to our wishlist. On the top of the list, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie! I fondly recall the illustrator of that book coming to my elementary school and have loved that book since. Here are our top 10 quaddler-approved books (in no particular order).

Do you have any of these books in your personal library? What books would you add to this list of favorite books for toddlers?

happy reading!

Amber

Disclaimer: Four to Adore participates in the Amazon Affiliate Program, meaning that if you choose to purchase a product linked to Amazon, Four to Adore receives a small commission from the sale. The proceeds of any sales are intended to help contribute to an educational fund for the quadruplets.

Toddler Tips #934: Yogurt Reinvented

March 4, 2014June 7, 2015Amber 9 Comments

Being independent toddlers, the quads refuse to let me spoon feed them anything. For the most part, it’s not a problem because they are highly skilled at finger feeding and are using utensils a little better each day. Some foods such as applesauce and yogurt don’t lend themselves to finger feeding and aren’t ideal for novice utensil users. This led me to find some alternative solutions, especially for yogurt.

I snagged this little gem from Gwen’s Nest. I put a little yogurt in the bottom of a bowl or plate and top it with dry cereal. This is one of my favorite ways to serve yogurt because it helps the babies work on spoon-feeding themselves. The yogurt sticks to the dry cereal, making it easier to scoop. Sometimes they pick up the cereal as a finger food, and it’s a bit sticky, but it’s not terrible.

I also found a recipe for Orange Dreamsicle Bites from Cookies & Cups, which used Greek yogurt and orange flavored Jell-O. I experimented with it and found that other Jello flavors make tasty yogurt bites for the wee ones (and adults too!). Plus, using other flavors creates fun colors, which is helpful when teaching toddlers about colors. The best part- Greek yogurt transforms Jello-O into a snack packed with probiotics, calcium, and protein that is easy to serve and clean up!

You'll need just two ingredients to make yogurt bites: 1 1/2 cups Greek Yogurt 3 oz. box of Jell-O

You’ll need just two ingredients to make yogurt bites:
1 1/2 cups Chobani Greek Yogurt
3 oz. box of Jell-O

Note: I’ve experimented with various brands and flavors of Greek yogurt for this recipe, and Chobani vanilla results in the right texture.

Mix the yogurt and Jell-O in a microwave safe bowl

Microwave the mixture 1 minute then stir well. Microwave another minute then stir again.

Spoon the mixture into molds, or muffin tins with cupcake liners. If you use a mold, be sure to spray it with cooking spray first.

I forgot to spray my mold and only two of our animals came out clean. I found that mini muffin tins are just the right size for a snack, and clean up is easy.

I forgot to spray my mold and only two of our animals came out clean. I found that mini muffin tins are just the right size for a snack, and clean up is a cinch. I made these as a toddler snack so I didn’t get fancy, but at Cookies & Cups, she topped these with whipped cream and candy, which would be cute to serve at a party.

I’ve been serving banana milk shakes for a while, but recently began adding Greek yogurt to them. I also like adding yogurt to whole milk as a drink. This is by far the easiest way to serve yogurt to toddlers! I do this often for Mason and Sydney because they are so tiny and often need extra calories that are nutritious rather than empty junk food options.

Toddlers absolutely LOVE dipping. They recently discovered they joys of ketchup and sour cream so I began using yogurt as fruit dip for the quads. Sometimes they spear fruit with a fork, which is good utensil practice. They also do well just dipping fruit as a finger food.

The yogurt I used for this was white, but I added a drop of red food coloring to make it pretty for the picture. Rylin is currently obsessed with pink things and thought it was fantastic. I think I’ll experiment with making our yogurt other colors such as green and orange to help teach colors.

Do you have any clever ways to serve yogurt or otherwise messy foods to toddlers? I always enjoy tips for feeding toddlers, and have been enjoying the Tyke Bites series at Texas Tales.

hugs!

Amber

P. S. Since the original writing of this post, I began using plain Greek yogurt as a sour cream substitute as a condiment (e.g. over chili, tacos, in veggie dip), to add creaminess to pasta dishes, and in baked goods. There are so many creative ways to use Greek yogurt in your family’s meals. In fact, Chobani has an entire site devoted to such recipes!

These recipes are some of our family favorites-

Greek Yogurt Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

7 Up Biscuits (for this recipe just substitute the sour cream with Greek yogurt)

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