Semi-Homemade Baby Food

April 26, 2013November 3, 2015Amber 10 Comments

By age six months, our pediatrician wanted us to begin spoon feeds with the babies. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that using jarred food is not the most frugal way to feed four babies so we set out to make our own. When we first began making our own baby food we started solely with fresh produce bought in bulk: pears, bananas, avocados, and butternut squash. As the babies soared at noshing on these purees, we knew it was time to expand their palates. While we found making everything fun, it was also very time-consuming. George and I stepped back and considered our goals in feeding the babies solid foods. We determined it was to provide them with nutritional food and expose them to a variety of flavors and textures. Also when caring for four babies we are always budgeting two things: time and money. No doubt, homemade baby food offers a substantial savings over jarred baby food and is also more wholesome. However, making everything from scratch is not always the best way to budget our two precious commodities. Thus, I started getting creative in making “semi-homemade” baby food. When I go shopping to make baby food I divide what I will make into these categories: fresh produce, frozen produce, dairy, and canned foods/pantry items. When there is no price difference, I always choose organic. If there is a higher price, I only choose organic if it is an item with thin skin that is eaten (e.g. berries), but don’t put too much stalk into trying to buy all organic. The last few times I went shopping, I tracked some of the price per ounce to help compare to jarred baby foods. On average a jar of baby food costs $.16/oz. I’ve listed the average cost of items we buy regularly (for items where I kept data at least) for comparison.

Fresh Produce

Without a doubt fresh produce generally offers the most nutritional value. When selecting items to puree I consider the price: what is in season and on sale? I also consider ease of preparation. I choose items that involve the fewest steps possible. For example, bananas are both the cheapest and simplest to prepare: peel and puree. That’s it. Whereas making pears requires: washing, peeling, steaming, then pureeing. That is a four step process! So if you are going for fresh produce think cheap & easy!

My top picks for fresh produce are:

bananas $.04/oz

avocados $.08/oz

sweet potatoes (I bake them then pull the skins off and mash)

squash

baby carrots $.05/ oz

berries (any variety in season)

Frozen Produce

I found that frozen produce is an excellent way to supplement fresh items. Many times frozen produce contains the same (or greater) nutritional value as fresh because it is frozen at the peak of ripeness, and they offer items that may not be in season. I buy some of our frozen produce items in bulk from Costco, but I also buy small steam in bag varieties on sale at the grocery store. The smaller bags are perfect for the first time we sample something new. I toss them in the microwave for five minutes to steam then puree in the Baby Bullet. If the babies have an extreme aversion to them or an allergy then I don’t have to contend with an abundance of something. Also, I’ve found some steam in bag veggies that aren’t available in bulk. There are even some items such as fruits that do not require steaming at all. I let them thaw in the blender or Baby Bullet then puree them.

My top picks for frozen foods are:

berries (any variety) $.12-$.15/oz

peaches $.09/oz

broccoli $.06/oz

green beans $.06/oz

mixed vegetables

corn $.06/oz

peas $.06/oz

spinach $.06/oz

Dairy

Dairy items offer great sources of calcium and protein while taking a tart fruit or bitter vegetable down a notch. As far as yogurt goes, I price compare at the grocery store considering what is the least expensive per ounce. I stray away from “Light” versions due to the aspartame contained in them.

My go-to items from the dairy section are:

yogurt (I use both flavored and plain) $.07/oz.

ricotta cheese $.08/oz

cottage cheese $.07/oz

Canned Goods/ Pantry Items

Believe it or not, I find great baby food items in the canned food section. I check for the items with the fewest ingredients and additives and avoid anything that says “syrup”. Also, look for cans that are BPA free. Canned beans offer excellent sources of protein and require no cooking while canned pure pumpkin is chock full of fiber and vitamins. The best part about using canned goods is they do not require cooking, refrigeration, or freezing and travel well. When we take the babies out, we often bring cans of pumpkin and cups of applesauce.

On my list of canned goods/ pantry items are:

beans (all varieties) $.06/oz

pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling) $.06/oz

corn $.05/oz

asparagus $.10/oz

applesauce $.05/oz

chicken, beef or vegetable stock (I sometimes add these to veggie purees as a source of protein)

I have a few favorite “recipes” for the babies and have also begun to puree the side dishes from our meals to make preparation much easier. As of right now, each “recipe” is one meal for all four babies, so it makes about four servings.

1. Creamy Corn

Steam 2 c. corn (or use one can corn rinsed and drained) then puree with 1/2 cup cottage cheese

2. Pumpkin Soufflé

mix 1 can pure pumpkin (NOT pie filling) with 1 c. applesauce and add a dash of brown sugar and cinnamon

I also do the same “recipe” with 1/2 c.-1 c. pureed carrots

3. Fiesta Beans and Corn

rinse and drain 1 can of beans (any kind), puree with 1 c. steamed corn (or one can corn rinsed and drained) and 1/2 c. plain yogurt

4. Pre–lasagne

steam a 12 oz bag of spinach and puree with a handful of grape tomatoes and 1/2 c. ricotta cheese

the babies also enjoy just spinach and ricotta cheese without the tomatoes

5. Refried Beans

drain and rinse 1 can of beans (any variety) then puree and blend in 1/4 c. plain yogurt

6. Fruity Oatmeal Smoothie (It occurred to me that minus the oatmeal I can also have this for breakfast if I double the recipe)

thaw 1 c. frozen berries then puree with 1/2 a banana, blend in 1 c. yogurt and 1 c. baby oatmeal

7. Green Bean Casserole

steam 1 -2 c. frozen green beans and puree with 1-2 baked potatoes (skin removed), use chicken or beef broth to get a smooth consistency

8. Sweet Peas

steam 1 c. frozen peas then puree with 1 c. applesauce

Disclaimer: Follow the advice of your pediatrician regarding which foods to serve to your baby and when. Our pediatrician happens to be rather liberal and only has two rules for feeding babies after age 6 months 1. NO honey before age one 2. serve one ingredient at a time and wait 2-3 days before introducing a new one, monitoring for any signs of allergy. I used the following books as a guideline when preparing food for our babies:

What are some of your favorite baby food combinations or recipes? I’d love to hear what other culinary creations babies are being served.

hugs!

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #12

April 25, 2013Amber 5 Comments

Several months ago when Rebecca at ABeautifulRuckus.com invited me to participate in her weekly series: The Little Things Thursdays, I had no idea how much my readers and I would enjoy it. Her idea was simply brilliant. The purpose is to reflect on the week and make note of some of the little things that brightened it. It’s incredibly easy to get wrapped up in stress and things that go awry, but so much more fun to recall what was great no matter how small. The cherry on the top is when readers tell me how much they now look forward to Thursdays! In a typical work week, most everyone looks forward to Friday (TGIF!!!). In my little space of the world, Thursdays are much more appreciated now. Thank you, Rebecca!

Without further ado, here are the little things that highlighted our week:

1. The babies are now nine months old! I’m having a hard time realizing how fast they are approaching their first birthday and at the same time enjoying every moment with them ( minus some of the screaming fits we have). Every day is a whole new world for them and they are constantly reaching new milestones. At nine months old, everyone has at least one tooth (Rylin finally got her first one), they hold their own bottles, they sit up with minimal assistance, roll both ways, maneuver on the floor by pivoting and scooting, and babble often. Sydney was the first to say “Dada”, and she says it often! Harper was saying “Mamama”, but hasn’t been doing it much lately, making me one sad Mama. They’ve also become keenly aware of each other. Toy snatching is commonplace around here. One day Harper even tried to roll on top of Mason to swipe a coveted toy. At meals, Sydney and Mason frequently turn to face each other and sometimes hold hands. I never seem to catch those sweet moments on camera because they are short-lived.

The babies are pictured in birth order: Rylin, Harper, Sydney, & Mason.

If his head would have fit under the couch, I'm certain Mason would have slithered all the way under!

Here’s what happens when Mason starts scooting around. If his head would have fit under the couch, I’m certain he would have slithered all the way under and scarfed a few dust bunnies!

Harper backed it up and under Sydney’s crib. For some reason our babies love backing up. You can really see Harper’s teeth in this picture; I think they’re so cute!

Here's proof that Sydney can roll over. She's been rolling over and getting her legs stuck between the rails. Yes, she is sleeping here and no I did not move her (she seemed totally comfortable).

Here’s proof that Sydney can roll over. She’s been rolling over and getting her legs stuck between the rails. Yes, she is sleeping here. No, I did not move her (she seemed totally comfortable).

Surprisingly, Sydney was perfectly content having her legs stuck after she woke up that way.

Surprisingly, Sydney was perfectly content having her legs stuck even after she woke up that way.

2. Since we moved into our house, we’ve taken great pride in it’s appearance inside and out. I love for our yard to look fabulous, but George is the resident yard man. He’s always worked really hard to make it look it’s best. However, last summer bed rest and drought got the better of our yard. The wisteria that once covered our pergola and the sole tree in the back yard both perished, which means we have no shade. George has been rather depressed about the state of our yard and it really is rather sad. He ran to Home Depot this week and purchased a few flowers to help the cause. He filled a pot on our patio with my favorite flowers, Gerber daisies. These little gems do great in Texas heat and keep bright, cheery blooms all season long. In fact, there was a single daisy sprout already in the pot. George was going to take it out and replace it, but I fought for that little flower. It’s going to be a hardy one, it managed to survive a Texas drought, neglect, and a winter freeze already.

Bright colored daises are always a great pick me up!

Bright colored daisies are always a great pick me up!

Despite all the withered plants in our yard, these Iris’ came up and bloomed on their own. They came from George’s Granny. She loved her garden and I love that her plants still bloom in our yard. I think she’d like that.

3. Our friend Natascha and her mom traveled all the way from Berlin for a holiday that began here in Texas. Of course, they couldn’t travel all that way from Germany without seeing the babies so they dropped by the house. The babies warmed up to them and acted like they were old friends. It was priceless seeing George teach Natascha how we diaper and feed the babies. He did a really good job, actually. He’s probably got more experience with those things than the average dad seeing we do everything times four.

4. So far, we’ve received over 1,000 votes for the Top 25 Moms of Multiples blog contest, placing us in third. Thank you all for voting because now it’s getting close, sometimes as few as 3-4 votes separate the rankings.

Many people have asked what we get if we win. The answer is mostly notoriety and also exposure that can open up new opportunities for us. I honestly love writing and in the future hope to author a book. This sort of competition can help me achieve some of my long-term goals. Winning does not bring any sort of tangible prizes or money, but I would still want win, or at least remain in the top 5. As I mentioned before, George and I are highly competitive so we don’t need to be offered much to play a game. Winning aside, there are some other great blogs participating and I’ve enjoyed checking in on them. The Littlest Lesnau’s and A Beautiful Ruckus are both authored by friends and fellow quad mamas so I was already familiar with them. However, I cruised the triplet blogs that are contenders to win: The Great Umbrella Heist and The Best Things in Life are THREE. I personally found both of them entertaining. If you have spare time you may want to check some of the other contestants blogs.

What little things brightened your week?

hugs!

Amber

The Ants Go Marching…

April 22, 2013Amber 8 Comments

On a whim, George and I decided to create a fundraising team for the March of Dimes, and actually take all four babies to participate. This was a major feat for us. First of all, we just came off lock down at the beginning of the month so we are still germ-fearing and highly protective of our brood. Plus, we are extremely rigid with our schedule, and the walk was scheduled to occur during the morning nap. Despite all of our reservations, we knew the March of Dimes was a cause close to our hearts and worthy of true support: walking the walk. Since very little prior planning was involved, we knew there was a real possibility it would be the two of us waking four babies too early and hauling them into a mass of people. Fortunately, my sister graciously met at our house to help get the babies ready and to join us. George’s aunt and youngest cousin, Brandi also met us to walk the walk.

I haven't the foggiest idea why the parking lot for the walk was behind locked gates. We had to scrounge up some muscle to hoist four babies loaded into the Runabout over it.

I haven’t the foggiest idea why the parking lot for the walk was behind locked gates, but it made reaching the starting line dicey for us.. We had to scrounge up some muscle to hoist four babies in the Runabout over it.

If you look behind us, there is a glimpse of the crowd marching by.

Mamma’s gotta keep tabs on her little quadlings.

Being rookies to the March of Dimes, George and I didn’t know what to expect or how to prepare. I am horrible at estimating distances and numbers so there could have been 1,000 walkers or 100,000. Regardless of the actual number, I can say there were people as far as the eye could see and the entire trail was packed. By far this is the most public event we’ve attended with the babies. The path was gridlocked with families and friends marching for a united cause, and it was moving to say the least. We enjoyed seeing all the team t-shirts and learning about the stories behind them. Our hearts were touched by several families walking for preemies much smaller than even Sydney (she was 2 lbs, 6 oz) and in remembrance of the tiniest of family members. It was a solemn reminder never to take our babies’ health for granted and to always remember the medical staff who helped us along the journey. We have a team of perinatologists who helped us keep the babies healthy prior to delivery and then an entire NICU staff who cared for our fragile preemies.

Most of the walk, the crowd trudged along at a snails’ pace, which did not make for happy babies. Several times we went off the trail so we could run instead. Our babies enjoy a grueling pace! George and I realized we aren’t in the best of shape anymore…we were rather winded.

I’m not sure if Mason was fed up with his sister badgering him or if he was just totally tuckered out.

Mason found his happy place with Aunt CiCi!

Even in a large crowd of thousands, a quad stroller is not the most conspicuous. Needless to say, we attracted a great deal of attention. As far as comments and questions, we heard nothing but niceties. Many people shared the notion we believe to be true: “you are blessed!” I beamed each time a passerby told us that and I always will. I don’t recall any rude commentary. However, the paparazzi was in full force. George and I are becoming accustomed to questions and photo requests. The paparazzi is different. They don’t bother to ask questions or dole out compliments. They gawk and snap pictures from their iphones then paste them up on their social networks. I presume I shall eventually get used to that sort of thing, but it made me feel totally violated. After all, I have no idea what happened to pictures snapped of us after the fact. I’m not sure I’ve ever intentionally taken a photo of a stranger without their knowledge or consent, but I will think twice about it if I ever get a notion to do so. That bit of drama aside, we had a great walk together as a family and plan to keep the tradition alive. Next year, we would like to coordinate better and rally a team to join us in the walk. We even brainstormed about creating team t-shirts in the same shade of blue as our stroller.

Ta da! We made it through the finish line with four babies in tow!

As we crossed the finish line, each baby received a sticker like this one. We slapped them on the backs of their onsies since they’d eat them otherwise.

The finish line was far too crowded for a photo-op so we settled for the March of Dimes Bell Helicopter.

Brandi helped keep Rylin happy while Carol snuggled a sleeping Harper.

By the end of the march, we had to bail three babies from the stroller. Only Sydney remained, contently chattering about the event. With only Sydney in the stroller, Courtney was able to help George lift the Runabout over the railing to the van.

Grandaddy opted out of the walk, but patiently waited for us at the end and dutifully helped load fussing babies into the van.

Since Courtney joined us for the walk, I let her sit shotgun while I shimmied between the boys in the back of the van. I realized they’ve been fooling me into thinking they nap in the van. Turns out they are quiet, but look like this!

The girls didn’t conk out either. ..Sitting in the back of the van I saw eight little eyes staring back at me!

What causes are close to your heart?

hugs!

Amber

We would like to extend a special thanks to the following people who donated in honor of our team:

Karen Cox

Christina Childress

Angie Owens

Kristen Klatt

Courtney Zehnder

Brandi Steele

Carol Vincell

Early Birds

April 21, 2013Amber 2 Comments

Back when the babies were in the NICU, they completed the usual newborn hearing screening. They all passed the screen at the time, but babies in the NICU for extended periods of time are at risk for hearing loss later. Therefore, a follow up appointment was made for them to occur at 9 months of age. The original screen was done in the wee hours of the morning while I was not at the NICU, thus the appointment was made for us. At the time I didn’t give it much thought. About a week prior, I realized it was for 8:00 am in a downtown office. This meant I had to get four babies up before daybreak, load them in the van, and haul them downtown in rush hour traffic for an appointment in an unfamiliar place. GULP! The mere thought was daunting!

Furthermore, I got the lowdown on said appointment from a friend with triplets. She warned that it took her crew 30 minutes per ear and they got cranky with it being so early, not in tune with their normal schedule, ect. UGH! I did the math and it was grim. With eight ears at 30 minutes each, it would take four hours. I knew that there was NO way on earth any of us could handle four hours of hearing screens. Panic mode struck me. I called the clinic hoping to reschedule for a later appointment and/or possibly breaking it into two appointments. No avail. However, I was assured there would be two audiologists working that day. I accepted our fate and hatched the best plan I could muster.

I am highly independent and care for the babies on my own the majority of the time, but for appointments like these I call for reinforcements. This time, my mom was able to lend a helping hand. The night before the appointment, we dressed the babies in pajamas that are onsies with footed pants (super cute and look like outfits) and brought their car seats into the nurseries. The next morning, Mom and I woke up just before six and got ourselves entirely ready to go. Next, we dropped bottles in the warmers while we made ourselves some coffee (gotta fuel the day!). After all bottles were heated we stored them in an insulated lunch bag and headed to get babies ready. We each took a nursery where we quietly got babies out of beds and changed diapers, but not clothes. We were careful to use only night lights and keep noise to a minimum. Of course the babies woke up, but weren’t awake before we loaded them into the van. By 6:40 all babies were loaded into the van and we were on the road.

Naturally, the day of this appointment was on one of the worst weather days of the year. We had a huge thunderstorm and chilly temps for April. Anytime there is so much as drizzle on the highways around here, traffic stacks up for miles. We navigated rush hour gridlock for 80 minutes, but we reached the clinic right on time!

Since the weather was dreary and damp, I pulled the van right to the door where mom and I loaded the babies into Snap ‘n’ Go strollers. Together we rolled the babies into the clinic where I checked in as mom distributed bottles. By the time I parked the van and filled out registration paperwork, the babies had drained their bottles. Because I called in advance, the clinic was prepared for us. In fact, the staff cheerily greeted us and complimented the babies numerous times on their behavior as well as their attire (yay jammies!). Everyone was so kind and accommodating for us. They separated the babies into two rooms with an audiologist and assistant in each room. Mom took the boys and I took the girls. This way, hearing tests were completed simultaneously. It ended up taking a little over an hour for all four hearing tests to be completed. Before leaving, we had to change a few diapers and take care of a few other housekeeping items, but we were back on the road by 9:45. Thankfully the weather improved drastically so we were back home before 10:30. The babies were easily back on schedule upon our return. The early bird appointment wasn’t horrible after all!

When we left the house, it was ptich black outside, but a sea of headlights and tailelights illuminated the highway.

When we left the house, it was pitch black outside, but a sea of headlights and taillights illuminated the highway.

Gotta love rush hour in the rain!

wubbanubs always come along to doctor's appointments because they help soother fussy babies.

Wubbanubs always come along to doctor’s appointments because they help soothe fussy babies.

The Snap ‘n’ Go strollers make it relatively easy to load and unload four babies. I’m dreading the day they all outgrow their car seats and we have to load them into different strollers from car seats. The babies are not used to watching TV so they were enamored with the TV in the waiting room.

If given the choice, I don’t think I would schedule another appointment far from home quite that early. However, I do prefer early bird appointments whenever possible for these reasons:

Offices are not behind schedule since they just opened!
Staff is generally friendly and welcoming since they aren’t exhausted from a long day of appointments.
Offices are freshly cleaned and therefore less likely to harbor germs.
The babies start the day in pleasant moods, which tend to deteriorate as energy reserves deplete.
Early appointments are less intrusive to the babies’ schedule and it’s relatively easy to get them back on track.

This particular appointment preceded a rather busy weekend so stay tuned for the March of Dimes and NICU Reunion!

Hugs!

Amber

P.S. We are now in 6th place for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Blogs list. You can vote every 24 hours until May 8 (one vote per device). It’s simple. Just click the badge below or on our side bar, then click “vote” under our picture.

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The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #11

April 18, 2013Amber 2 Comments

You may have noticed that The Little Things Thursdays have become the highlight of a blogging week for me. That’s because the babies have been falling out of nap sync. It’s a travesty really. Inevitably they all go down then one wakes up bored in his or her crib and lets the others know of said boredom. This all means I have significantly less time to accomplish things such as blogging. Don’t worry, I LOVE writing and blogging so I don’t plan to stop, I just don’t get to it as much as I’d prefer. I’ve got at least two or three good posts in draft mode that I never seem to revisit.

1. On Saturday my sister and I took the babies in the Runabout for the community garage sale. Every good garage saler knows you have to start early before all the best stuff is snagged, but as a schedule-bound quad mama I knew that going out early would inevitably interfere with naps. I went against my reservations and we headed out right about the time babies would normally settle in for naps. I really worried we would stroll down our street and experience Def Com 5 with four wailing babies. To my surprise they did great! They took turns snoozing and lapped up all the attention they received from complementary onlookers. I am certain they know a compliment when they hear one because they all beam.

To ease crib doldrums, my goal was to find as many crib toys as possible. Just by cruising a few blocks, I scored three crib soothers (these really cool aquarium looking things that play music and move when the babies push buttons), a crib piano, a caterpillar crib toy, a swimming duck bath toy, and a bubble machine (all for under $30). I priced crib toys prior to heading out and learned that full retail is about $35-65 each! Multiply that by four and you’ve got the start of a college savings account. So far, the crib toys have helped quite a bit, especially for Rylin.

Isn’t this bubble machine cute? It plays music while blowing bubbles and has colored piano keys that say color names when pushed.

2. The babies received these nifty baby swings for Christmas, however we had trouble figuring out where to hang them. We hoped they could hang from our pergola, but decided it wasn’t sturdy enough. Then George considered building a swing set frame himself. As always, we are budgeting not just money, but also time. I found a patio swing set frame on Amazon (the source of almost everything in our home nowadays) for a mere $70 shipped. It took George less than 20 minutes to assemble and we were set for summer swinging fun! Just like at the playground, Harper and Sydney don’t seem terribly interested in swings, but Rylin and Mason relish it.

Mason’s dimples tell all: he is having fun! Syndey, well she seems content at least.

3. Prior to having quadruplets, I only drank coffee on Sundays when we made a hearty breakfast. I’m really not much of a coffee drinker and can’t handle a strong brew. I never understood why people say, ” I NEED my coffee”. That was until I brought home four tiny babies who needed round the clock care. Out of pure necessity, I started a habit of drinking one cup of coffee every morning during the babies first nap. That being said, I’m still no coffee aficionado,but I NEED my coffee! I became bored with the 80 cups of a single flavor from Costco and ordered some new ones instead. My spring favorite is blueberry! It seems odd, but blueberry is a great compliment to coffee, it reminds me of chocolate and orange together. Yum-o!

The blueberry pairs nicely with a dash of sugar and splash of half and half.

4. Don’t forget to vote for Four to Adore on the Circle of Moms Top 25 blogs list. It’s easy! Just click the badge on the sidebar of our home page (or below), then click the “pending” tab, finally scroll down to our picture and click vote! Just three clicks is it! In a day or two we should be off the pending list so we will be on the page right after you click the badge. You can vote daily through May 8, 2013.

What little things filled your week?

hugs!

Amber

Please, vote! And, vote often!

April 18, 2013April 18, 2013Amber 2 Comments

Last year when I first began writing this blog, I learned about the Circle of Moms Top 25 lists, which recognize special interest blogs. I was especially excited to find out there was a top 25 blogs for multiples list. At that time we weren’t actually raising quads so weren’t yet contenders. This year, however, is different. We are entered so its game on!

George and I are extremely competitive (seriously, we’ve settled arguments via card games and love board games!). When we compete, we are in it to win it! Please help us out by clicking the “vote for me” badge pictured below or on the sidebar of our homepage. You can vote daily through May 8, 2013 so please try to vote and vote often. There is a lot of stiff competition, especially from other quad blogs so we need your help, please vote and ask others to vote too. It’s easy!

For now, we are under the “pending approval” list and could be there a few days until our blog is reviewed by the committee. After you click the badge, click the “pending approval tab” then scroll down to our picture and click “vote”. Once we are off the “pending approval list” we will be on the list right after you click the badge.

Happy voting!

Amber

March for Babies

April 14, 2013April 15, 2013Amber 1 Comment

Having four premature babies brought a whole new appreciation for the March of Dimes to our family. Honestly, prior to the arrival of the babies we never gave it much thought. Thanks to state of the art medical care, our babies who were born 10 weeks too soon are thriving. To show our support of this cause, George and I started a fundraising team for the March for Babies 2013. If you are able, we would appreciate any donations made to the March of Dimes in support of The Shawver Quads. Please visit our team website at: http://www.marchforbabies.org/s_team_page.asp?seid=2061354 Money raised supports the March of Dimes’ research to help expectant mothers reach full term pregnancies and to support families who have babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

hugs!

Amber

The Little Things Thursdays: Installment #11

April 11, 2013Amber 10 Comments

It’s 11:00 pm as I type this, so technically it is still Thursday. I’m working at “game time” no doubt! Nonetheless, it is time to reflect upon the little things that filled our week.

1. George and I were inspired by the Glawson Triplets to take the babies to our community playground. We stuffed two babies in each baby swing and they soared. Of course, before we stuffed them in, I sanitized each swing with Clorox wipes. Oh yes, I am that mom. We are enjoying freedom from lock down, but I’m not completely ready to let my germ guard down. Rylin and Mason thoroughly enjoyed their ride, giggling and grinning the whole time. Harper and Sydney didn’t protest, but seemed rather lackadaisical about the whole ordeal.

This is how quadruplets roll at the playground!

Rylin thought this was big fun. I love the wind in her hair.

Hmm, these two don’t seem terribly interested.

2. After I took Mason to Cranial Technologies for his weekly band adjustment, he and I took a detour to one of my former schools. I introduced Mason to the principal, Samantha, and secretary, Mina, at Bonnie Brae. Both of these ladies helped me trudge along as I worked full time the first 20 weeks of a quadruplet pregnancy so I thought it was time they meet at least one of the quadlets. I promised to bring the others someday. And…Springdale and Riverside friends, I promise we will swing by to see you as well.

Mina, Mason, & Samantha.
Mason was highly interested in Samantha’s glasses and seemed to thing they’d be a tasty snack.

3. My Uncle Mark sent this picture to me a few days ago. It is me and my Grandpa I think at Easter, which would make me about 13 or 14 months old. It’s a sweet picture that reminds me of how special he was to me and all of the little things we did together. I will always remember catching fireflies in his yard, swinging from vines, looking at stars with his telescope, performing on his hearth, and going to the beach. In his 87 years, he always stopped to look at bluebonnets and never let the little things go unnoticed. Thank you, Grandpa for teaching all of us to appreciate the little things!

Do you see any of the babies in this picture? I see a strong family resemblance…

hugs!

Amber

Happy Easter!

April 3, 2013Amber 3 Comments

This is what it looks to get everyone ready for a quadruplet picture. You have to footballl hold two babies each.

This is what it looks like to get everyone ready for a quadruplet picture. You have to football hold two babies each then settle into place.

We all wore our Sunday best for Easter and attempted to take a family picture. Not a single one turned out good. The babies were far more interested in teh koi pond in front of them than the camera.

We all wore our Sunday best for Easter and attempted to take a family picture. Not a single one turned out as I envisioned . The babies were far more interested in the koi pond in front of them than the camera. And, Stella thought she’d join us for the family picture.

George and I have a rather large extended family within the metroplex so we typically make rounds for major holidays. Having four preemies meant taking extreme precautions to prevent illness so our plans drastically changed this year. Instead of our usual hustle, we spent the holidays on a smaller scale. It was nice having low key holidays, but we missed many of our extended family members and all the family traditions.

With lock down officially OVER, the babies enjoyed their first extended family holiday on Easter Sunday. They’ve seen the majority of our extended family, but in smaller doses. This was the first time they were around family in full force! We made the same faux road trip to Nisey and Grandpa’s as we did on St. Patrick’s day. Like before, we fed the babies first thing in the morning, put them down for their morning nap then headed out after their lunch. The idea was they’d get at least one good nap before we left. They did great with the travel aspect of it all. I always ask the babies how they are doing during transit and usually it’s silence so I assume all are sleeping. I’m relatively certain Rylin did not take a nap during the van ride this time. She was even keel the first hour or so we were there then she snapped and transformed into Banshee Rylin. We attempted to put her down for nap in a Pack ‘n’ Play, but she wasn’t having that. Sydney and Harper probably would have napped, but Rylin stirred them up so much they refused nap too. I settled with letting the three of them take lap naps. A lap nap is far better than NO nap. Mason was duped into taking a nap when Grandpa lulled him to sleep.

With so many doting relatives around, George and I escaped all afternoon and evening feeds and most diaper changes too. That was a nice change of pace. For the most part, the babies were the center of attention most of the day. However, before lunch we gathered together to reflect upon the meaning of Easter and what brought us there.

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

I hope you had a Happy Easter this year and remembered why it is a day of celebration.

Mason tried to be a big boy who walks.

No one likes me, everybody hates me. I think I’m gonna eat worms!

With a house full of family members there was never a shortage of baby feeders. I don’t think George and I fed a single baby after 11 am!

The Super Seats helped the babies get a good view of what everyone else had for Easter lunch.

Nisey thought Harper would enhance her Bunny centerpieces.

Nisey and Grandpa gave the babies a huge Easter basket with bath toys, a bubble gun, books, and candy for the “big kids”.

If you ever wonder where Harper got his good looks, I think it’s from these two: Grandpa and GG Paw.

Well, a nap in somone's arms is better than no nap at all.

Well, a nap in someone’s arms is better than no nap at all.

Harper seems to be quite the ladies man. Grandma, Terri, and Nisey doted on him all together.

The Super Seats are amazing for traveling spoon feeds! Love them!

The Super Seats are ideal for traveling spoon feeds! Check out this feeding frenzy with four babies plus four feeders.

After a full day of festivities, we all setteld in for a Baby Einstein DVD.

After a full day of festivities, we all settled in for a Baby Einstein DVD.

I always marvel at the four car seats loaded after a day trip. I often still wonder if they are all ours!

hugs!

Amber

They’re Finally Hitched!

April 1, 2013April 1, 2013Amber 8 Comments

Last spring George and I did the unthinkable. We sold our beloved Jeep and purchased a van in its place. I always said I would NEVER, EVER drive a van. Then God must have chuckled the day we discovered we were expecting quads and would consequently need a van. That being said, we actually really like our van. If you have to drive a van, this one is pretty nice. With the nifty seat warmer working it’s magic and the sound system going it’s rather easy to forget you are actually in a van. A few short weeks after buying the van, we made another purchase we never anticipated: a Runabout quad stroller. We stumbled across a fantastic deal and scarfed it up.

The only problem was that our new van wasn’t equipped with a trailer hitch, which is required by the stroller. Had we purchased the stroller first, a trailer hitch probably would have been in our negotiations with the dealer. We didn’t worry about it at the time knowing it would be months, even close to a year before we’d even use the stroller. We’ve been putting off adding a trailer hitch for months thinking it would be both time consuming and expensive. After a bit of research George learned it was a relatively simple DIY project with a kit from U Haul. Over spring break, George finally scrounged up enough spare time to install our trailer hitch so we could use the van and stroller for the first time! Check out our first family excursion with the Routan + Runabout:

I think the Routan and Runabout make a beautiful couple. The babies seemed to enjoy the ride despite the dreary looking weather.

If you’ve been following our crazy journey for a while, you likely recall when we purchased the van, https://fourtoadore.com/2012/04/22/i-never-thought-i-would-say-this/ and then when we purchased our stroller https://fourtoadore.com/2012/04/30/lets-runabout/ That means you’ll also recall that the stroller loads on the van similar to a bicycle rack for transport of the stroller itself, not the quads. However, upon hearing that our stroller requires a trailer hitch, many people envisioned a stroller being pulled by the van with the hitch! I wrote about the first incident of that https://fourtoadore.com/2012/05/20/is-that-thing-safe/ shortly after it occurred because it was hilarious.

This is actually how the Runabout attaches to the trailer hitch. We have plans to take the babies on outings such as the zoo, festivals, and more!

This is actually how the Runabout attaches to the trailer hitch. We have plans to take the babies on outing such as the zoo, festivals, and more!

However, if you are a new reader, I hope we GOTCHA!!!!! Happy April Fool’s Day.

Disclaimer: No babies were transported via the trailer hitch for this posting. Rather, the photo you see above was staged and the keys were not even in the van at the time of the photo.

Hugs!

Amber

Four to Adore

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Happy Easter!

They’re Finally Hitched!

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