How do you do it?

February 9, 2013August 16, 2015Amber 12 Comments

Whether we are out with all four babies or going about or daily lives alone, we are often asked, “How do you do it?” or are told, “You are amazing!” I’ll admit, we love the flattery and ego boost. Yes, we were given an amazing challenge and blessing of raising four same age children, but that doesn’t mean we are amazing. We are usually just doing what needs to be done to the best of our ability everyday. With that in mind, I began wondering what helps us accomplish all of the things that must be done on a daily basis while maintaining some degree of sanity. I chalk it up to these things:

Organization & Planning

George and I are both Type A personalities. Long before the quads, we kept everything well-organized. Our house is by no means spotless, but it is organized for the most part. Everything has a place and we try to keep all things in place (we get out of sorts if things are left out). We have systems for the most efficient means of accomplishing daily tasks from bottle washing to feeding four simultaneously. Some of our systems took a bit of ingenuity (e.g. quad feeding table and diaper chute) and time to figure out the logistics. We’ve also learned to triage our to-do lists. Somethings are non-negotiable such as preparing feeds, but other things like laundry may take a back seat. Sometimes we take short cuts such as cleaning with Clorox wipes and the Swiffer Vac too!

Mason, Sydney, Rylin, Harper trying the quad table for the first time.

I started creating pages explaining some of our systems in case other parents of multiples want to give them a whirl and so someday we can look back at all that we’ve been doing to stay afloat. Yesterday I found a purple funnel in our kitchen cabinet and told George, “Hey, I didn’t know we had a funnel. I could have used it a few days ago.” He said, “Oh yeah, we bought that when the babies came home.” Neither of us have a clue what that funnel is for! I guess it was for some system we had a while back.

Here are a few resources:

Making Formula by the Batch- https://fourtoadore.wordpress.com/resources/making-formula-by-the-batch/

Feeding and Developmental Charts- https://fourtoadore.wordpress.com/resources/charts/

Must Haves for Babies (Multiples Edition)- https://fourtoadore.wordpress.com/resources/must-haves-for-babies-multiples-edition/

Sleep Training

We could not survive with round the clock feeds every three hours and stealing sleep in 1-2 hour increments for long. We soon learned how to sleep train the babies. I read two books about how to this, Babywise and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins. We adopted concepts from both books, talked to other parents, and melded it into something that worked for our quads. Having babies that nap relatively well AND sleep all night is the secret to accomplishing anything besides direct baby care. They generally take three 1-2 hour naps. At this point, the babies take their final bottle at about 7:45/8:00 pm and sleep 10-11 hours. Very rarely do we hear a peep out of them in the night. The only downside is that after they go to sleep for the night, we get a bit overzealous and try to tackle WAY too many projects. I often notice it’s midnight and I’m yet to go to bed myself. That’s when the Keurig is a handy tool. I now understand what people mean when they say, “I NEED my coffee!”

HoM MoMs and DoMs

Wonder what that means? It’s some cute little acronyms for High Order Multiples (HoM) Moms of Multiples (MoMs) and Dads of Multiples (DoMs). Connecting with others raising high order multiples (triplets or more) absolutely keeps us sane. We are both part of online forums for moms/ dads of quads or more. These other parents help normalize raising quads, encourage us to try new things, give us great tips, and give us good laughs too. It’s not uncommon for me to shoot a text or email to another MoM about a frustrating day or to ask about a feed or nap. Because of these people, we often forget that it’s atypical to do things such as make the entire can of formula in a day. And…sometimes we are able to buy secondhand gear for multiples such as our Runabout from them!

The Village

Whenever people discover we have quadruplets, they often snidely say, “I hope you have A LOT of help.” I smuggly reply, “Not as much as you think.” That is mostly true. We do not have an entourage, a nanny, or an army of volunteers, but we do not do this completely alone either. Three to four days of the week I am on my own. George and I are always home together on Sundays, but I go to work two days a week too. Those two days per week are when the reinforcements come. It takes two babysitters each day while I work to manage the fort. One day per week, my father in law and aunt in law come to the rescue while the other day my mom and her sidekick, Terri (or sometimes Billie) keep tabs on the babies. Recently, my friend, Jen started coming every other Tuesday evening to help me while I’m here. It’s usually the time when we are managing a spoon feed, baths, dinner, and other pesky chores. In addition to our regular baby wranglers, we sometimes find friends or relatives who babysit so we can go on dates! Those times are few and far between, but greatly appreciated. I am constantly baffled when these people leave our home and thank us for letting them come. Thank us??? I always reply, “NO THANK YOU!!!!”

Carol feeding Harper
George feeding Mason

Left: Nisey with Rylin
Right: Billie with Mason

Terri & Rylin

Teamwork

George and I are a team in this journey. Neither of us could manage it without the constant support from the other. We each have our specialty baby care tasks. For example, I tackle baths while he makes all of the feeds. We both work in tandem do the other stuff. George never complains about changing the millionth diaper or managing tiny clothes, and he doesn’t grumble when I leave him alone to run errands. Sometimes to keep it interesting, we “race” each other to complete baby cares. For example, one time we each took a nursery and raced to see who could change their babies first. I won that one, but he wasn’t far behind. George works full-time and I work part-time so we aren’t together 100% of the time, but we love the days best when we are home together.

Faith

Before we knew we were expecting quads, I often made comments such as, “I think we would be fine with twins, but anything more is SCARY!” It never occurred to me that we may have high order multiples. Despite that sentiment, I was oddly calm the day we saw all four heartbeats on our first ultrasound. I somehow knew He was taking care of us and had bigger plans than we ever imagined. Throughout the entire pregnancy and probably far beyond, everyone around us seemed to do all the worrying for us. For the most part I never worried and never considered that all four babies being anything other than healthy. I adopted this quote during the struggle with infertility, “Worrying does not empty today of it’s troubles….it empties tomorrow of it’s strength” – Mary Engelbreit. Remembering that served me well then and continues to. Many others around us continually worry about the financial burden four babies bring. However, He always sees that our provisions are provided. Thanks to the generosity of those around us and even some strangers, we have bought very few diapers, wipes, or cans of formula to date. We’ve probably spent the same amount parents of a singleton or twins may, but not what we anticipated for having quads (thankfully!). With each passing day, we give thanks to God for the gift of our precious babies and know we’re never alone.

Sydney, Harper, Mason & Rylin

So there you have it. If you wonder how we’re still standing, these are the reasons why.

hugs!

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #2

February 7, 2013February 10, 2013Amber 20 Comments

This has been a BUSY week in Quadland so it’s our first post since last Thursday! I’ve been working on another post, but I’m yet to finish that one. We’re linking up with Rebecca at A Beautiful Ruckus for The Little Things Thursdays again. If you have spare time, don’t forget to check out what little things were happening around the blogosphere this week.

Reflecting on our week, I realized I’ve been doing a good bit of online shopping and quite a few boxes arrived at our house this week. Prior to having the babies I loved to bargain shop and would jaunt here and there seeking the best deals. That is a bit tricky since it usually requires two babysitters for me to leave the house. Hence, online shopping gets the job done. I still bargain hunt just in a new fangled way. I often check pricegrabber.com to see who has the best prices. Waiting for all of our boxes of new stuff to arrive is plain fun! Here’s what was new at our house this week:

1. One staple of our babies’ wardrobes is Baby Legs. They are FANTASTIC! Every time we make a trip to the doctor, the babies don Onsies with coordinating Baby Legs. When they need shots, we just pull the Baby Legs down a bit without having to finagle miniature pants and socks. After the shots are done, we load them up and leave. I’ve also figured out that Baby Legs work as lightweight jackets when we stroll around the neighborhood in our Runabout!

Harper and Sydney are modeling their Baby Legs here.

2. Now that the babies are eating real food, we have to prepare said food. We’ve been experimenting with existing kitchen equipment including a Baby Bullet gifted to us, our old Magic Bullet, rice cooker, blender, and food processor. These gadgets got the job accomplished, but very inefficiently. For example, the Baby Bullet took 13 minutes to steam a single pear where we had a five pound bag to puree! After some research we added two new appliances to our arsenal: The Ninja 1100 and 20 cup Aroma rice cooker/ steamer. Both appliances are multi-purpose and we hope will grow with our family. We gave them a test run last night and were able to process the pears in about 25 minutes, including cook time.

3. Sunday afternoon, I left George in charge of the babies and headed to Costco. I picked up organic produce for baby food as well as a few other essentials. Today the babies gave butternut squash a try and LOVED it! I think we have a new family favorite along with bananas. Rylin took thirds of this yummy concoction!

Sydney & Rylin

4. When the babies were in the NICU, the occupational therapist there introduced us to Wubbanub pacifiers. Since then, each baby has used the same Wubbanub. Recently, they have become sort of “security blankets” as the babies enjoy holding them and rubbing them on their faces or gnawing on the limbs. One day I washed them and left them out to air dry. This did not bode well with Mason who refused his nap until given a damp Wubbanub. Thus, I ordered a second set for backups!

Top: Sydney & Rylin
Bottom: Mason & Harper

5. As the babies began expressing interest in holding their bottles, I thought it might be time to try trainer cups. I ordered a variety of different ones to experiment with and also pulled out some the babies received for Christmas. I’ve been putting about an ounce of water in them and letting the babies try to pick them up.

Mason was the only one who seemed interested in the sippy cups today.

6. The weather here has been absolutely lovely. Despite being February we had highs in the 70’s this week. We’ve logged more time in the Runabout with this weather. We use the sun shade, but the babies heads and faces are usually exposed to the harsh sunlight. They have plenty of winter hats, but no sun hats. So, I ordered some from The Children’s Place. George chose a fedora for Harper and military hat for Mason while the girls got floppy sun hats. They each modeled their hats today. Sydney was a bit perplexed at the size of hers. Apparently she will be able to wear it all summer long!

Clockwise from top:
Harper, Sydney, Rylin, & Mason

What little things happened in your week? Is there anything new at your house?

Hugs!

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment 1

January 31, 2013February 10, 2013Amber 10 Comments

Fellow quad mama, Rebecca, invited me to join her “The Little Things Thursdays” over at her blog, A Beautiful Ruckus:

http://www.abeautifulruckus.com/

During the week with quads, Rebecca realized there were numerous little moments that made the week special. However, these moments weren’t always worthy of a full blog post. Nor, is there enough time in a day to blog about every little moment that transpires in a day. Hey, it’s challenging enough to post a full post on a weekly basis! Thus, the idea of The Little Things Thursday emerged. Every Thursday she posts snippets of the week’s happenings as a quick way to share with others and document for her family. She also links up with other bloggers who do the same thing, document little things. I’m so excited she invited us to join! We’ve got plenty of these moments and no time to blog them all fully! Here is our first installments of little things from this week:

1. Mason has become a Holy Roller! He’s mastered the skill of rolling tummy to back and back to tummy. If you put him down, he rolls. He rolls on the floor, he rolls in his crib. He rolls into things, including siblings. So far, he’s the only roller in the bunch, but Sydney and Harper have been spotted rolling onto their sides.

Now that Mason is rolling over, we’re having sibling tangle ups! Rylin took the opportunity to kick her brother.

2. All of the sudden, the quads have an interest in holding (sort of) their own bottles! YAY! They don’t quite have the dexterity to hold a full bottle of formula. However, they can hold bottles when the majority is drained. We give Rylin about an ounce of prune juice in a NICU “kitten bottle” and discovered she can hold it herself. Big girl!

Rylin learned to hold her own juice bottle in the morning.

Rylin demonstrating her mad juice drinking skills.

3. We started spoon feeds at the quad table George built. We introduced a few fruit purees over the week with rice or oatmeal. Spoon feeds were a bit daunting at first, but the quad table makes it so easy!

The taste of avocado brought Harper to tears!

4. The babies usually wear Baby Legs or leggings. However, we have all of these precious jeans we never seem to wear. I broke them out for Aunt Cici’s visit on Sunday.

Everyone wore Baby Gap jeans for the first time.

5. Mason has always been a social bug who loves to chat up everyone from visitors to siblings. Today, he rolled over and discovered it’s just as fun to chatter with himself!

Mason discovered he’s a dapper little fella!

6. Now that I am home with the babies most days, I spend A LOT of time in the den and so do the babies. I realized that we’ve been living in a sea of brown. We have a brown sofa, brown chairs, a brown coffee table, and of course brown hardwood floors. For evenings after work it’s one thing, but ALL day in the brown was just too much. This week I took charge of the brown. I grabbed some paint and did a few DIY color splashes to brighten things up a bit. I bought sea shells at Hobby Lobby and painted them chrome to fill a hurricane jar. Then I took a beat up looking end table that was of course, brown and distressed it with a cheery aqua. I also found a nice cream lamp from Home Goods for that table. And, finally I spray painted a the brown picture frame above our mantle white. I just love using paint for quick changes!

Here are the results.

What little things did you do this week? Don’t forget to drop by A Beautiful Ruckus to see what little things happened across the blogosphere.

hugs!

Amber

How to Build a Quad Feeding Table

January 28, 2013December 12, 2014Amber 20 Comments

As the babies approached their six month birthday, we knew spoon feeds were impending. It’s not that we aren’t absolutely excited to introduce new flavors and textures to the babies, but we know it’s going to bring new challenges. Over the past few months, we settled into a really nice feeding schedule with bottles at 8, 11, 2, 5, and 8. Spoon feeds will inevitably interfere with our tried and true routine (in a good way eventually). A jar of baby food won’t last one feed in this house so we will also be making our own baby foods. That means even more work preparing feeds. As it is, George spends roughly 30 minutes nightly preparing formula for the next 24 hours. On a positive note, making baby food will make us eat healthier because we will be well stocked with fresh produce.

And the biggest challenge related to spoon feeds….where and how to feed four babies! High chairs were never under consideration. Four of them would be pricey and there is NO space for them in our kitchen anyways. My original plan was to buy feeding seats to attach to our kitchen chairs. Feeding seats would be relatively inexpensive, portable, and space saving. However, our kitchen table is round and there’s no way one person could reach all the babies if feeding them alone. I am alone with the babies 3-5 days of the week so practicality is imperative. A few months ago, there was chatter among quad moms about feeding tables. A lot of them raved about them so we started browsing the options. There are companies that make commercial grade quad feeding tables. However, these tables are primarily marketed to daycare and school settings. They are very practical and durable. They are also unattractive and expensive. In order to house a quad table, we had to sacrifice our kitchen table. Keeping that in mind, we wanted something sturdy, practical, and easy to clean, but that was not an eye sore either. Thus, the idea of building a quad table was born. We ordered red replacement seats for the commercial feeding tables from Just Multiples for $30 each. Shortly after ordering our seats, I heard it through the grapevine that fellow quad mama, Traci’s father recently built a feeding table for her quads. Traci was kind enough to share their plans, which George used loosely. Also, George was able to chat with Traci’s father for a few tips.

Just Multiples sells a commercial grade table for $575

Here is a list of the materials George used with a cost breakdown:

plywood $60
two 4 x 8 beams $22
wood filler $3
stain $12
wood glue $3
four 2 packs of corner braces $16
sandpaper $6
Liquid Nails $3
four replacement toddler table seats $120
paint FREE- we already had it!
miscellaneous woodworking tools FREE- we already had them
GRAND TOTAL $230

As you can see, we saved several hundred dollars making custom table that fits our breakfast nook perfectly! Below George attached pictures with step by step explanations of how he fabricated our table.

I began by gathering my materials in order to layout my design. Two sheets of 3/4″ cabinet grade plywood and two 8X4″ beams.

Next I began to layout my design using a rough set of plans from the Dvorak’s.

Then I used a jigsaw and carved out my design. I clamped both pieces together and cut both at the same time.

I used the seats to decide where to place my holes.

After cutting both pieces I cut out special openings to allow for the seat to snap into place. (notice this is the bottom piece)

After cutting both pieces I cut out special openings to allow for the seat to snap into place; this is the bottom piece. Note: In hindsight I’d make this hole 9 1/2 ” by 9 1/2″ square because the top piece will be 8 1/2″ by 8 1/2″ square and will cover this opening.

I used wood glue to press both pieces of wood together and I allowed this to sit for two days.

I used clamps to make sure everything went together smoothly. Wood has a tendency to warp.

I used a miter saw to cut down the legs to size. All are 29″ long.

Here are the four legs cut to size. Notice how they are sanded down.

I bought a dowel rod and cut 8 individual pieces. This will be used in the next step.

I used a drill to make holes in the leg and into the underneath of the table. Notice how I wrapped tape around the drill bit to give me a guide so that I did not go through the table.

Next I used wood glue to glue in the dowel rods and then Liquid Nails to secure the legs to the table. I used weights to make sure it went down properly. I let this sit overnight to cure.

The next morning I sanded the table down for hours. I then applied the first coat of stain.

I also used these brackets to secure the legs to the table again. I wanted to make sure nothing moved.

I then brought the table into the house to see how it fit in order to make last minute changes.

Amber wanted me to match our living room rug so I painted a little design.

Amber was afraid the table would look like a “sea of brown” and wanted me to match our living room rug so I painted a little design on the top. It was a good idea. After all, there will never be place mats, center pieces, or table runners on this table! Paint was a good way to liven it up a bit.

Here is another angle after I applied a coat of polyurethane.

And here it is all done in it’s splendor. Never in a million years did I ever think I would make one of these.

This one shows all of the dimensions I used.

To make sure the table could handle the weight of four babies or toddlers, George perched on top of it.

He also sprawled across the thing like some sort of gangster! Should be good for a gang of quads.

He also sprawled across the thing like some sort of gangster, maybe the Quad Father. Should be good for a gang of quads.

Now that the table is ready to go, we just have to figure out how to pad the babies in so they can use it ASAP. We realize the seats aren’t intended for six month old preemies, they are really for toddlers. However, we figured if George was going to go through the effort of making a table, we might as well use it as long as possible. Stay tuned for spoon feed updates and pictures with messy babies!

hugs!

Amber (and George)

Update….we used old baby bath towels to pad the babies into their seats until they sat up well enough independently. They outgrew the quad table after their second birthday and we now use a family dinner table with restaurant high chairs.

Green Light, Go!

January 26, 2013Amber 11 Comments

On Thursday Nisey helped me take the babies to see Dr. Knapp for their six month check up. Bless her for that. There is NO way I could take them all solo. Everyone got a stellar report and even made it on the growth charts. Of course, they are still small compared to same age counterparts, but they are big enough to be compared in the first place.

Also, we were given the green light to start spoon feeds. Dr. Knapp is surprisingly liberal about solid foods and says they can have pretty much anything besides honey. He doesn’t even recommend waiting on peanut butter! We aren’t planning to try peanut butter for a while and are going to offer it just before going to a well visit, just in case! He said we should just try one thing at a time and wait two days to look for signs of an allergic reaction. When they’ve tried all the components, he also suggested pureeing our dinners such as casseroles or pizza. We are excited about this new terrain, but also a bit apprehensive. With quads, spoon feeds is most definitely going to bring new challenges our way. To help us efficiency feed the quads, George began construction on a quad feeding table. As of now, he has the table built and is working on staining and painting it. Once it’s done, he is planning to write a post about how he tackled such a daunting project!

Here everyone is waiting to see Dr. Knapp. The babies are lined up largest to smallest: Harper, Rylin, Mason, & Sydney

Sweet Baby Feet!
PS- That is not a shot you see in the picture, it is a pen. =)

Rylin

13 lbs, 6 oz

25″ long

Harper

15 lbs, 6 oz

25″ long

Sydney

12 lbs, 3 oz

24 1/4 ” long

Over the past month or so, we experienced feeding difficulties with Sydney. She started refusing bottles, screeching, arching her back, and stiffening her legs during some feeds. She never spit up, but it became an all out battle. We considered the possibility of everything from silent reflux to food sensitivities. We tried soy formula and took reflux precautions, but didn’t find much relief. Dr. Knapp ruled out other problems such as ear infections and teething. He finally told us to stop force feeding Sydney and to let her refuse bottles if she wanted. We did that and it worked! We were trying to force the poor baby to eat more than she needed. She’s been much happier these days and she DID grow since our last checkup. She’s still the smallest, but is only about a pound lighter than Mason. Sydney’s hemangioma (strawberry birthmark) on her head is starting to involute (lighten and shrink), which is great news and apparently unusual. Dr. Knapp said they usually grow much larger before they shrink.

Mason

13 lbs, 3 oz

25 1/4″ long

Mason has been receiving Occupational Therapy through ECI since about two months of age because he had a slightly flattened head. Our therapist taught us how to do a stretching regime that we do between every feed and we encourage him to turn to his non preferred side (left). He’s made HUGE progress with therapy and is tackling many developmental milestones ahead of his siblings (notice in the picture he his holding his own bottle). However, we still see some mild facial asymmetry. Dr. Knapp of course had no concerns about it because Mason is doing so well, but as his Mama I am concerned. I plan to make an appointment for him at Cranial Technologies to make sure he doesn’t need any type of band to correct his head shape. I never want to feel guilty about not having it checked or have regrets.

The babies are all wearing size 6 month pajamas and are lined up largest to smallest. Interesting to see how their pajamas fit differently.

More babies!

hugs!

Amber

What’s in a Name?

January 21, 2013February 10, 2013Amber 15 Comments

When George and I considered potential names for the babies, we mulled over them for a while. We wanted names that we thought weren’t too common nor did we want unusual ones. I had a laundry list of “NO” names due to seeing kids with particular names at work (there are names common with behavior problems, learning problems, and even particular disabilities!). We considered names that would be cute for babies and children, but could also grow with them. We wanted the chosen names to sound respectable in a board room or office. We also thought it was important for each name to be unique from the others because the quads are individuals after all. However, we wanted cohesive middle names chosen from earth elements. All of those considerations and we didn’t put any stock into the meaning of each name! In fact, I don’t think we even looked up the meanings of their names. Today the babies turned six months old and each of them has a unique personality and temperament developing. I find it funny how the meanings of their names do seem to matter after all. If we’d considered the meaning of their names beforehand, we may have ended up with Serenity, Calm, Patience, and Peace. Sure, our house would be very zen, but also boring! Instead, these are the little people who fill our home with love:

Rylin (little princess) Skye (head in the clouds)–

Rylin is our little princess no doubt. She is incredibly social and loves to coo and babble to her parents, visitors, siblings, and even some toys. She has the most adorable rasp in her voice. I just know she will have the cutest raspy voice when she starts talking. Each morning, Rylin wakes with a huge smile plastered on her face as she coos to her sister and bats her luscious eyelashes. She often brings her hands to her face as if she’s brushing hair from her eyes. Miss Rylin has a way of charming caregivers with her smiley eyes and often delays naps and bedtime. She is a dainty girl who is long and lean, but she doesn’t much enjoy physical activity. She loathes tummy time and tolerates it only if a mirror is adjacent to her. She LOVES to admire herself in a mirror as if she knows she’s pretty. She’d rather not bear weight on her legs and melts into a welcoming lap instead. Rylin loves to chatter to her siblings and smile brightly at them, even if they are disinterested. She has a streak of independence and attempts to hold her own bottle most of the time. For the most part, Rylin is a delightful little girl. However, she IS the princess in this house. When she wants something, she demands it! Rylin is known for having a piercing scream when she is hungry or bored. If you aren’t prone to migraines, Rylin can certainly help you find one. I remember when I displayed a temper as a child, my mom would say, “I hope you have a little girl just like you when you grow up.” Rylin may well be that little girl with a fierce temper!

Rylin is chatting up the other social butterfly of the family, Mason.

Who’s that pretty girl?

Harper (musical) Stone (athletic)-

Dating back to his days in the NICU, Harper has always been the most vocal of the group. He babbles “meh”, “mamamma”, and sometimes even “hi”. When he giggles there’s a little underlying snort and he crinkles his nose. He is never shy to let his needs be known, especially if he is hungry. There are many nights when Harper is protesting his nap or bedtime and we say, “Well, Harper is harping!” Just like his sister, Rylin, Harper tends to demand things he wants and wails quite loudly. He earned the nickname “Captain” early on as he tends to be the boss who sparks feeds or naps. George recently added the nickname, “Mr. Giggles” because Harper will giggle when he wakes up in the morning. Of the group, Harper is by far the strongest and largest. I would expect the most athletic also. He loves to bear weight on his legs and feet and sometimes it’s difficult to get him to sit. If I were placing bets, I would say Harper will be the first to walk. Despite his innate ability, Harper tends to avoid initiating activity and prefers to observe his siblings in action. He CAN roll over, grasp objects, push buttons, and probably even sit up. However, he often does none of these things until cajoled. He has a precious smile with a huge dimple in his right cheek, but you have to entice him to show it to you. Harper has huge dreamy eyes and luxurious eyelashes that are certain to break a few hearts.

Harper thought this table was a nifty way to stand.

Lily snuggled up with the casual observer.

Sydney (enthusiastic) Raine (helpful friend)-

Tiny Sydney is incredibly curious about everything in her surroundings. Her huge brown eyes hone in on even the tiniest of details. She was the first to notice a new lamp and crinkled her brow at it. She could track her mobile in the NICU when her vision should have been about equivalent to a bat’s. When she sees something of interest, Sydney insists on observing it even if you move her. We’ve noticed that if you turn while holding her, Sydney will turn her head and keep her eyes fixed on the thing of interest. She will make an excellent dancer or ice skater because this skill prevents dizziness while turning! Sydney has a sweet coo and smile, but often reserves them for special moments. Her favorite person to talk to is Rylin. Whenever she sees her sister, she almost always smiles and coos at her. She also enjoys interacting with her brothers, but seems especially close to her sister. Despite being so small, Sydney is surprisingly strong and seems to be in constant motion. No matter where she is, Sydney kicks her feet and flails her arms with enthusiasm. She stands with support for balance and controls her neck and head independently. She is starting to really enjoy the exercsaucer because she can stand up in it and punch buttons. We always say she’s little, but mighty! Don’t be fooled by her petite stature; Sydney has a temper too! When she’s mad, Sydney turns deep read and she wails! Unlike her bigger siblings, Sydney is calmed by a swing and neck wrap spread across her tummy. Thank goodness for that!

Sydney loves to stand, but poor baby can’t reach the floor in these standing toys.

Sydney always enjoys Elmo’s appearances more than anyone else.

Mason (reliable) River (trendy, hip)-

Mason is by far the most predictable of the group. He has an even keeled temperament and reserves his tears for good reason like a foul diaper or wicked burp. Mr. Mason is usually a happy-go-lucky little guy that melts the hearts of everyone around him. Actually, he’s been wooing others since he was only about four weeks old and my dad nicknamed him “Slick” then. He’s quite empathic to others and gets rather upset when his siblings cry, especially if they are in pain. When the others get vaccines, we have to take Mason out because he becomes distraught and almost inconsolable. While he’s smaller than his brother, he works twice as hard to accomplish physical milestones. He was the first to discover his hands and now uses both together to grab and munch toys. When he wakes up from a nap, he often puts his Wubbanub back into his own mouth! He is also the only one who can roll over front to back and back to front. Mason is almost always in a good mood and coos saying “ah ooooohhh”, especially when he awakens. We love to tickle his ribs to hear his little belly laugh and to see his huge dimples, one in each cheek. His smile is contagious! We often say the operation is possible because Mason is so easy-going and just plain happy. I don’t think we would fare half as well if we had four demanding babies.

Mason always makes good use of his two hands. He especially loves to grab a sibling's arm or hand.

Mason always makes good use of his two hands. Here he has a toy in one hand and Sydney’s hand in the other.

Well, I captured one of Mason’s two dimples at least.

While the babies never sleep together (I am terrified one might roll on another), I love putting them into one crib while supervised. I’ve been snapping pictures of their crib parties each month to see how they grow. By the end of the year, I doubt they will fit in a single crib!

hugs!

Amber

Maiden Voyage

January 19, 2013February 10, 2013Amber 18 Comments

When we purchased our Runabout stroller, we anticipated not being able to use it until the spring. We figured the babies would need to sit up without support and the weather wouldn’t be appropriate until the spring. However, today was an absolutely lovely day in Texas! If I didn’t know better, I would say it was April. The sun was brilliant and it was temperate; the perfect day to head outdoors. Normally we would use our twin strollers, but I saw that the Jones Quints (who live nearby) were using their Ruanbout this week. If they could Runabout why couldn’t we? Our babies may not be able to sit independently, but they have reasonable neck and trunk control. So, we took our Runabout in the neighborhood for it’s maiden voyage!

The entire family, including the furbabies, loved it! I think the babies enjoyed being able to sit up and see what was in front of them. When we got back, they were all relaxed and in a great mood. The stroller is so easy to maneuver and we even took turns jogging with it. After all, it is a jogging stroller than can go up to 10 mph. Not that I envision either of us ever running 10 mph with our without a Runabout. It was easier for one of us to wrangle the dogs while the other pushed the stroller. As far as neighbors and onlookers they were all so nice! We got plenty of marveling glances and a few cute questions from kids, but not one rude remark. One little boy asked if it was heavy to push because it was so big while another inquired about Sydney’s hemangioma. When George explained it was a birthmark, the boy replied, “Like Harry Potter?” Too cute! We live in such a great place for the quads to grow up.

I like the babies to wear sunglasses to protect their peepers. Sydney’s glasses were too big so she wore Mason’s. He wore his Build A Bear’s aviators!

I think George looks handsome with his Runabout!

hugs!

Amber

PS- the best part about the Runabout is that I can now walk the babies solo!

Preemie Prints

January 12, 2013August 13, 2014Amber 7 Comments

Back in November, we were given the gift of photography courtesy of Preemie Prints. It is a charitable organization that provides complimentary photography sessions to babies in the NICU and NICU graduates for the first year. They are willing to meet on site, which was perfect for us since getting out is a feat. We took advantage of this wonderful gift just in time for grandparent Christmas gifts and cards. Our photographer, Ashlee, captured fantastic family photos in an hour’s time. The babies really could not tolerate more than an hour as they began their nightly transformation into Gremlins. I spent the last month deciding which photos to print and then mulled over where and how to display them. As I considered the lack of wall space in the house, it occurred to me that we could use our entry way niches to display the photos. While my two cousins, aunt, and a family friend were kind enough to babysit, George dashed out for a little jaunt around town. (Yes, that is correct, it took FOUR babysitters for us to snag a date.) We enjoyed dinner at Mi Cocina and then bought paint and accessories for our weekend warrior project.

Our entryway was bathed in a deep crimson with dark, heavy accessories for at least six years and it was high time for a refresh. We coated the once dark walls with a fresh splash of cream and accented it with bright, cheery picture frames of various sizes and textures. At Hobby Lobby, we found some kitschy iron art that says, “Family” and a plaque that reads, “Friends are God’s way of caring for us”, which I thought were fitting. I absolutely LOVE the results of this mini weekend project and the way it captures our family’s personality. It makes me want to refresh other areas of the house, but who knows when we’ll scrounge up the time for that!

Before

After

Below are some of my favorite photos taken during our session-

Our friend, Terri, worked behind the scenes to help us dress and entertain babies. I know she is not fond of this shot, but I think it’s precious. You can see a bit of our living room with baby gear. It’s a slice of life!

Sydney & Rylin

Mason & Harper

Rylin, Harper, Sydney, & Mason

This one is priceless! George may have worn this expression when we saw four little circles on our first ultrasound. I bought the cutest socks for the babies to wear in the pictures and I later noticed 1. George is cupping their feet with his hands so you cannot see them 2. George is barefooted! That is life with quads for you.

It is not exactly easy holding four babies simultaneously. Poor Mason was being squished out here.

I like this candid shot of me trying to load all of the babies in George’s arms. Notice Sydney is in my lap with her feet sticking out!

George managed holding all four better than I did.

Rylin slept through the majority of the session, but I thought her below the Christmas tree picture was absolute perfection. Sydney, on the other hand, was not too keen on laying there.

For more information about Preemie Prints, check out their blog:

http://preemieprintsinfopage.blogspot.com/p/welcome.html

hugs!

Amber

A Day in the Life

January 8, 2013February 10, 2013Amber 15 Comments

When the babies were nine weeks old, I exhausted my FMLA and returned to work two days per week. The cost of daycare is astronomical for one baby let alone four, so that was never under consideration. My mom has been gracious enough to come Fridays, sometimes with help from a faithful friend. George had flexibility in his work schedule so he arranged to have every Wednesday off and sacrificed Saturdays. His father aka Grandaddycame on Wednesdays as a helping hand. That arrangement was working quite well, until George accepted a different position in his company. He now works Monday through Friday, which is great for family weekends. Not so great for childcare. With thoughtful consideration and prayer, we approached George’s aunt, Carol for the gig. To our surprise she accepted! George’s father will continue to come Wednesdays to help her and spend quality time with his grand babies. Carol came over last week for a little “on the job” training, but tomorrow is her first official day without George or I here.

I know the babies will be in loving, capable hands so that is a piece of mind. I also know that caring for quadruplet infants is no easy task and not for the faint of heart! I made a bit of a road map for them. I jotted down our daily schedule with a few painstaking details about the major stuff: diapering, feeding, playtime, and sleeping. I figure I would want a road map so Carol and Grandaddy might appreciate one too. Here it goes:

7:45 am

Change Diapers
Give the girls juice from the tiny labeled bottles in the fridge (they will take it cold.)
Feed
Dress them in day clothes (Yes, they wear clean clothes every day even if no one is visiting and we are going no where. They sleep in their pajamas over 12 hours so they sweat and sometimes leak from their diapers. Eww! Also, they need to wear all of the cute clothes generously gifted to us. Plus, they look cute in pictures!)
Playtime

9:30 am

11:00 am

Change Diapers
Feed
Playtime

12:30 pm

2:00 pm

Change Diapers
Feed
Playtime

3:30 pm

5:00 pm

Change Diapers
Feed

Quiet Playtime (e.g. books, Baby Einstein DVD, rock, chatter, swings)
Baby Massage with lotion OR bath, then pajamas

6:30/6:45 pm

Power Nap

8:00

Change Diapers and add Diaper Booster Pads
Dream Feed with one tablespoon of oatmeal added to the bottle
Bedtime

Every time it says “nap”, imagine me morphing into a white tornado that tackles enormous loads of laundry, scads of bottles, Crock Pot cooking, blogging, and slurping a cup of cool coffee. On occasion, I force myself to indulge in a bit of television or maybe a power nap, but that is rare. By the end of each day we have changed 20 or more diapers, made and served 140 ounces of formula, settled babies into cribs over 20 times, and washed 130+ bottle parts. No rest for the weary here! Now that the babies settle in for the night after their 8:00 pm feed we find ourselves trying to wrap up WAY too many projects in addition to the existing chores. Sometimes it’s difficult to not do things that need doing, but our bed is calling. That’s all a day in the life of quadruplets!

hugs!

Amber

Here are some pictures of our playtime activities from today:

Sydney and Mason are doing a bit of supported tummy time with a flashy toy. They are starting to press buttons! Mason is especially good at grabbing things and pressing buttons.

Harper and Rylin are also trying supported tummy time with a flashy button toy.

Elmo makes appearances in our den, which really entertains the babies!

Elmo makes appearances in our den and the babies just LOVE him. He is a tad annoying, but look at the grin on their faces. They sometimes even laugh out loud when they see Elmo.

We now put the bottles IN the bottle buddies. The babies have gotten really wiggly and the buddies help stabilize them. I had to cut the elastic for the Avent bottles, but Sydney’s Dr. Brown bottle fits well.

Harper is apparently enamored with this barnyard toy.

Sydney is trying to get a burp out while the others are in “stations”.

Here are some of our “stations” The boys are in bouncy seats while Rylin is on a playmat and Sydney is still trying to burp. That girl has the worst time trying to burp!

Everybody loves a rattle! Harper can’t wear rattles on his ankles anymore so his are wrist rattles.

Good luck Carol and Grandaddy!

2012 in review

December 31, 2012Amber 8 Comments

WordPress sent this summary of blog stats for the year. I thought it was interesting. Thank you Texas Tales, Our Multiples Journey, and the Littlest Lesnaus for making the most referrals to our blog!

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

19,000 people fit into the new Barclays Center to see Jay-Z perform. This blog was viewed about 82,000 times in 2012. If it were a concert at the Barclays Center, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.